When Trying, Simply isn't Enough
by Jordanalane
Summary: Suki and Zuko have been married for 12 years, with no sign of a child. Patience and perseverance can only carry them so far before their marriage starts to deteriorate. With their friends and family supporting them they try to make it work; but a secrete will throw everything out of balance. Includes flashbacks to their past together and some smut.
1. Prelude

**18 months after the end of the 100 Year War**

Suki stood at the door to the Fire Lord's apartment pulling at her her Kyoshi warrior uniform at the waist, making sure that it was fitting right on her thin frame. '_You can do this.' _She said to herself as she bit her lip, smoothing out her dress. She noticed for the first time that she was shaking ever so softly. She could not help buy laugh at herself for this behavior. She went into battles and was less nervous than she was right now. There was something about this current prospect that was far more terrifying than that of being killed while fighting. _'They don't teach you about this while training to be a Kyoshi warrior.' _ She told her self, taking a deep breath and walking though the door.

Zuko was sitting on the love seat that was in the living room area of his apartment having on only a pair of red pants and simple sandals. The room was dark accept for the fire which he was creating and then extinguishing in his hands. He stared at the fire as it danced across his palms, seemingly captivated by its warmth and power. There was a noise from his door way making him drop his hands, the fire going out.

"Who is there?" He asked to the darkness standing up swiftly. The Moonlight was spilling into the room, giving just enough light for basic shapes to be seen in the dark. He saw a figure at the door, and knew right away who it was. "Suki." He said under his breath, smiling ever so softly.

She walked into the room and smiled at him bowing a little bit as she did so. "Your majesty."

Zuko's heart started to pound faster at seeing her again, his face flushing over. "Please don't bow to be Suki," He told her, "I hate it when you do that."

She stood up and nodded at him, "Alright." She could see his outline in the moon light. She felt as if she was about to faint. She was shaking harder as she looked at him. "I'm happy you are back." She told him.

He nodded, "I'm glad to be back. I'm sorry I did not find you earlier today when I arrived home."

"Its fine. I figured that you were tired from your long trip." She said to him in a soft voice "I'm happy that you found your mother." She told him.

Zuko nodded, smiling at her. "Thank you, I am too."

"When will she come and live here?"

"I'm not sure. She re-married and has two small step children. She said that they need her for right now." He said, holding his hands behind his back.

"And Azula?"

"She stayed behind with her. My mother felt like she needed some time with the two of them; to help the both of them." He said in a soft voice that almost sounded a little sad.

She nodded "I think that is a good idea." Suki told him.

"So..." Zuko said to her, placing his hands behind his head and interlocking his fingers. He looked away, trying to be nonchalant but failed. "How have you been the past month?" He asked her.

"Well... Its been interesting." She told him.

"Interesting?" He asked.

She nodded "I have to talk to you about something." She said.

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as soon as the words were said. It was his experience that when someone said that, especially a girl, that it was not going to end well. "What is that?" He dropped his hands to his side, rubbing his sweaty palms.

"When you kissed me, the day you left." She started.

He gasped a little bit in surprise. He had hoped with all his heart that she had forgotten about that foolish action that he had done in a moment of poor judgement. "What about it?" He asked, his voice squeaking as he spoke. He rolled his eyes at himself, annoyed that he could let his voice do that.

"Well..." She took a deep breath. "When you did that I..." Her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry that I did that. It was a lapse in judgement and a mistake." He said to her simply, trying to cover up his action in any way that he could.

She shook her head, "Shut up." She told him in a soft yet firm voice. He said nothing else, waiting for her to speak. "When you kissed me, it was the single best thing that I had ever felt." She said, her voice shaking horribly. He looked in her direction, not sure of what to say or feel. "I don't think it was a mistake that you kissed me. I saw the look on your face, I saw the intent in your eyes and I know that you liked it." She told him "I liked it too, in fact I loved it..." She had gradually walked over to him so that she was standing in front of him, looking at his dimly lit face. "Ever since then I can't get that kiss out of my mind, the feeling that it gave me. I can't get you out of my mind, no matter how hard I try."

"Suki..." He said to her with a soft voice. He felt a soft sign flow from her lips at the sound of him saying her name. He took the queue from her and placed one on his hands on the side of her neck the other around her waist, closing the gap between them quickly. When their faces meet he placed his closed lips on her open ones. She gasped gently as she placed both of her gloved hands on his bare chest, letting his lips melt into hers. The feeling that she felt was exactly like the one that she had felt the day that he had left. It was a feeling that she wanted to feel for the rest of her life. Zuko's feelings were quite different than before. The feelings of dread and guilt were replaced with feelings of desire and affection. After a few moments of this he pulled away from the kiss, still holding onto her by the neck and waist. She held the position that she had held when their lips were touching, her eyes closed. After a moment she licked her lips opening her eyes and looking at him. "Was that what you remembered?" He asked her.

She nodded, looking at him intently. "That and more." She told him in a harsh whisper. Both of their breathings had quickened, their breath hot on one another's face. They were both blushing deeply, so much so that the red flush could be seen under her white face paint.

"I thought about you too." He told her. "Every single day I wanted you to be there with me." He stroked her cheek with his thumb, looking into her eyes, seeing only the reflection that the moon light cast in them. "I felt so guilty, so I tried to just press it out of my mind, but the more I tried the harder it was."

"Why guilty?" She asked him.

"Well... Several reasons. Sokka for one." Suki felt a ping of guilt herself as his name was said. "However the main thing was that I still hate myself for what I did to you and your people, to your island."

"Oh Zuko..." She told him with sadness in her voice. She moved one of her gloved hands to his cheek, holding it.

"Please understand." He said, pulling away from her.

"Understand what?" She asked, putting her hands together on her chest.

He held out a hand level to himself spreading his fingers in an outward direction, fire coming from his finger tips and creating a small ball of fire in the palm of his hand. The fire was small but bright enough that they were both clearly illuminated. Suki saw his face for the first time in a month; it feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She could not help but smile when she saw him.

"That I'm still a monster, I always will be." He told her.

She moved closer to him, taking her gloved hand and placing her fingers tips in between his fingers, moving them down toward his palm. The tips of her fingers were burnt by the fire, but she moved quickly enough so that the fire was extinguished fairly quickly casting the room back into darkness. He stood there speechless as she moved in closer to him, holding his hand and pressing her burnt finger tips into his palm. She continued to move in, stopping as soon as their lips made contact with one another.

He felt a sudden wave of pleasure engulf his body. Suki was the only person that he had ever known who could put out his fire, but then ignite a totally different one in him at the same time. It was something so powerful, so amazing that he found his mind and body unable to fully contemplate it. It was in that kiss that he was sold; on her, on them, and on anything and everything that would come from it. Suki pulled alway, much to his discontent, looking him in the eyes.

"You have to understand that when I look at you, all I see is the strong person you are, and the wonderful man that I know you will become." She told him, speaking softly but confidently. "I will follow you to the ends of time and the earth, Zuko. Even if you don't want me, even if you love another, I will never leave your side as long as I have breath in my body." She looked at him and smiled gently.

Neither of them said anything for a long white. They just stood in the presence of one another, radiating off each other. After a little while Suki removed her hand from his palm, pulling away from him. "You need your rest." She told him, holding her hands in front of her.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" He asked her, not sure what else to ask her.

She just smiled at him, "I will Sire." She said, giving him a shallow bow.

"Please..." he said to her. "Don't bow." He told her speaking in little more than a whisper, "Don't ever bow to me."

She just nodded, smiling. "Alright. I shall see you in the morning." She told him in her soft voice as she turned, leaving him alone in the room.

Zuko closed and opened his eyes, feeling like he was able to breathe for the first time since she had come into his room. He was not sure what to think or feel and was still unable to comprehend what really happened. The only thing that he could really do was just smile, feeling the fluttering of his heart coming back to a normal beat.


	2. The Dreaded Discovery

**22 Years after the End of the 100 year war**

Suki was in her bedroom sitting in front of the large mirror combing her hair with a delicate mother of pearl comb. As she did so she studied her refection in the mirror. She looked over her features and hair line, feeling a mix of emotions as she did so. On one hand she liked the way that she looked; maturity showed in her face to and extent but her features were still soft and bright as they had been so long ago. On the other she saw subtle differences in her features that displeased her. The most noticeable of the differences was the little lines that had formed at the edges of her eyes. Whenever she smiled it was the worst; or so she thought. She had just celebrated her thirty seventh birthday a month ago. She did not feel as old as she was, but it was still a number that she could not escape. She sat the comb down and frowned gently, grabbing a green ribbon to put her hair back. It was when she lifted the top half of her auburn hair that she saw it. She froze and stared at what she had found. With her free hand she reached up into her hair and pinched a single hair. She pulled it out and looked at it, letting her hair fall back into its natural orientation. She held the hair out in front of her, staring at it intently.

There were soft foot steps coming toward the bedroom. Fire Lord Zuko walked though the open rice paper door and into the bedroom, seeing Suki sitting at her vanity. "Have you seen my..." He started to ask her, but stopped as soon as he saw the look on her face. "Another one?" He asked her in a soft voice. She turned around toward him and held out the hair. He walked over to her and held her clenched fist in his hand, looking at the hair. "This one is really white." He told her, regretting the statement as soon as he made it. She looked at him with an expression that was a mixture of sadness and anger. "Sorry." He said to her. She stood up, putting a hand to her face as she tried to walk past him. He grabbed her by her wrist preventing her from walking away. "Come here." He told her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.

She held him around his shoulders burying her face in his neck, "It's really white." She said. Her voice was muffled but he could tell that her voice was shaking, the woman close to tears.

He held her gently, rubbing the small of her back. "I know." She pulled away looking up at him. He smiled at her in attempts to calm her. He saw her eyes widened as she looked at his hair line. "What is it?" He asked her. She reached up to his hair line with her thumb and for finger in a pinching position. He pulled away from her, trying to avoid what he knew what was coming. "No, don't!" He yelled at her as he pulled away from her. She grabbed him by the shoulders, throwing him on the bed roughly. She pinned him on his stomach, pressing her knee into the middle of his back. "Suki that hurts!" He said loudly to her. She reached to the front of his head and grabbed a section of his long black hair, pulling it. He yelped in pain as she pulled the hair out by its roots.

She rolled off of him and sat on the bed looking at the group of hairs in her hand. "You have one too." She told him, looking at the silver hair mixed in with the other ebony ones.

He sat up next to her, rubbing his now bald spot on his hair line. "Why did you do that?" He asked.

She looked at him, tears in her eyes as she held the hairs. He looked at her with a soft frown on his face. "We're getting old." She told him, his voice really shaking as she cried softly.

He sighed softly and laid his head on her shoulder looking at the hairs in her hand. "Its not that bad, people get grey hairs all the time." He told her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, interlocking his fingers at her side.

She laid her hands in her lap, still clenching but her and her husband's grey hairs. She hung her head in defeat. "Its not just that." She told him, "We don't look the same, I don't look the same." She wiped tears from her eyes with the ball of one of her hands as he held her. "I have wrinkles at my eyes, and grey hairs and a huge ass." She started crying more, her voice shaking.

He laughed a little bit, kissing her on her neck line. "How many times do I have to tell you; I like your big ass." He told her playfully. She just laughed a little bit, rubbing his arm that was draped across her stomach. "And its not that big." He told her, "You've just put on a little weight." He reminded her.

"You're not making me feel better." She told him.

He looked at her and smiled gently, "Its the truth though. You've not changed that much." He told her. "I like the way you look now better you know?" She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Really?" She asked.

He nodded, "Very much so. The one thing that I like about getting older is that I've gotten to see you get hotter," he told her. She let go of the hairs that she was holding and reached out and held his cheek gently, smiling as she looked into his eyes.

"You've gotten better looking too." She told him as she ran her thumb over the roughness of his scar.

"You think so?" He asked. She nodded at him. "Well I am balding now so there is that to take into account." He told her as he looked up to hair hair line.

She just laughed and kissed him tenderly, "I'm sorry about that." She told him.

"It's fine. I know its not the hair that is bothering you." He told her.

She nodded, "You're right, its not." She frowned, wanting to cry again.

He shushed her and kissed her on her lips quickly, "I know." He told her.

"We don't have all the time in the world." She told him sadly. He sighed and let go of her waist, adjusted himself so that he was sitting facing her on the bed, his leg bent in front of him, bracing himself up by his hands placed a foot or so behind him. She sighed gently, looking at him, "I'm not trying to put pressure on you." She told him.

"I know you're not, but you are." He told her.

She brushed some hair of his face, smiling at him with tears in her eyes. "I just..."

"I know Suki." He said under his breath, looking away.

"Don't do that to me, Zuko," she said to him in a slightly firm voice. "I've been patient, going along with your plan all this time, have I not?"

"You have."

"You keep telling me that we just have to keep trying, right?" She asked. He nodded, looking at her. "I've gone along with it and I hoped that it would work out, but its not." Her voice was shaking again. "Its been almost fifteen years Zuko. Sixteen years since we have started having sex and nothing has happened that entire time!"

"I know you want a baby Suki," At the mention of the word baby Suki hung her head and started crying heavily. All he could do was hold her around her chest, letting her cry on his shoulder as he petted her head. He never knew what to say to her when she got upset like this. He felt the same pain that she did, but was never sure how show or tell her. He thought that he should be strong for her, even if it meant not letting her know how he felt. After a few minutes of her crying She pulled away, rubbing her red eyes. "Listen... I have an idea." He told her, pulling her hands away from her face. "You're right, we have gone with my plan this entire time and its not really worked. So from here on out we will go with your plan." He told her, smiling a little bit.

"You would do that?" She asked.

He nodded, "At this point in time it can't hurt, and to be honest my plan can be ongoing while yours is in effect." He told her.

She just laughed as she nodded, "That is true."

"So you look into what ever you want, you make a plan and figure it out. What ever it is I will help and we will do everything we can for this." He told her squeezing her hand gently.

"No matter what it is?" She asked. He twisted his month as he thought about it, looking away. "Your just supposed to say yes." She told him, laughing a little bit.

"I don't know what I'm going to have to do." He told her. "Short of one of us having to have sex with someone else, I will do anything and everything I can do." He nodded softly.

She nodded and kissed his cheek, then hugging him around the neck. He held her around her waist and rubbed her back. "I love you Zuko," She told him, "You are my hero and I know that we will figure this out." He just nodded, kissing her neck.

"I love you too." He told her in a soft voice. He frowned and bit his lip as he clenched his eyes tight, wishing more than anything that he could be someone else in that moment.


	3. Father and Nephew

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

Zuko was in the informal dinning room of the palace, sitting at the low table on a soft rich pillow. This room was reserved for the royal family and their every day use and was a common meeting place for the family, acting as their dinning room and study for more than one person working at the same time. Zuko was currently looking over some materials that had been given to him by Aang that were in regards to republic City's new economic structure. The complex documents were marked up with Aang's notations in red ink and an apparent juice spill on the one corner. He could see the young father and Avatar sitting at a table on air temple Island, looking over the important document while trying to entertain one of his three children; the visual image making him laugh to himself.

"What are you laughing at?" Said a voice from across the table.

Zuko lowered the paper past his eye sight, looking at the 12 year old boy across the table from him. "Nothing. Quit stalling." Zuko said, scolded him softly.

He boy frowned and looked back down at the papers in front of him. He put his elbows on the table, placing his fingers in his mouth and pulling downward, making himself frown, his teeth showing. He made animal like growling sounds as he did this, biting at the air.

Zuko looked at him with a serious and worried face, his one eye brow raised a little bit. The boy froze with his motion, looking at Zuko with his large golden eyes. Zuko broke the silence by laughing at him, setting the paper that he was looking at down on the table.

"Made you laugh!" The boy said happily as he removed his fingers from his mouth.

"You did." he said, admitting his defeat as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Can I stop with my school work tonight?" The boy asked.

Zuko shook his head, "No. If you don't get that done Aunt Suki will kick me in the face."

"I don't think she can kick that high." He said.

Zuko just laughed a little bit, "You'd be surprised how high she can get her leg." he said under his breath, his eyes widening once he realized how inappropriate that statement was to be saying it to a child. He just hoped that the boy did not pick up on what he had said.

"I will never let a girl beat me." The boy said very confidently.

Zuko just smiled at him, "You may think differently when you get older."

The boy shook his head, "Nope. I want to get married and she will cook for me, thats all." He said matter of factually.

Zuko just shook his head, motioning to the work in front of the boy. "Get back to work already."

The boy groaned, flopping his head onto the table in front of him, "I don't wanna."

"I mean it Ozlon." he told him. "You need to get those mathematic formulas figured out."

Ozlon laid his head on his outstretched arm, working on his homework. He worked on the work for a little while, Zuko looking over at him every few moments to make sure that he was working. After 15 minutes of them both silently working on the paper work in front of them Ozlon sat up, looking at the Fire Lord.

"Can I ask you a question?" Ozlon asked Zuko.

"Does it have anything to do with math?" He asked, not removing his eyes from the document in his hand.

"N-no." Ozlon said timidly.

"Then no you can't." Zuko said simply.

"Please. I'm almost done on this and I just wanna ask about something." He said, his voice slightly begging.

Zuko looked at him with a slight frown on his face. "One question."

"Will I be Fire Lord one day?" Ozlon asked him, looking at him with his large eyes.

Zuko's eyes widened, having not expected that question in any way shape or form. This was a question that he had known was going to come up eventually, but was still something that he had really not looked forward to. Also, much like the sex talk that he had had to have with the boy a few years ago, this was one that he had practiced for. "Why do you ask?" He asked him, setting the document that he was holding down.

"Well I was reading about our family, and how the oldest male child will inherent the throne. If there is no male child then the oldest female will get it. However if there is no child, then the title will go to the next available heir." His brow was gathered, thinking hard. "You and Aunt Suki don't have any kids, so that would make me the only available heir."

Zuko nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "You are correct." He told him. "Since your Aunt Suki and I don't have children the title would fall to you if something were to happen to me." He sighed a little bit "However that is not what we want." He told him.

Ozlon frowned a little bit, "What do you mean? You don't want me to be fire Lord?"

Zuko looked into the eyes of the young boy, the child that he had raised since he was 6 months old. The boy was a caring sweet child who was funny, smart and always managed to get everyone around him to laugh. He felt nothing but love for this child, and thought of him as his own. It broke his heart to have to say this to Ozlon, but knew that the situation had to be laid out for him. He did not want to patronize the child, but instead be honest and upfront with him about the situation. "You would make an amazing Fire Lord, Ozlon," Zuko told him "But for the security of this nation you can never take the throne."

Ozlon looked at him confused, "Why?"

"If something would happen to me, you would be the heir apparent, you would be the one that they would turn to, but your not the legal and true heir. Your mother would be." Zuko had a fair amount of seriousness in his voice. "Even if you were crowed as Fire Lord your mother could, at any time take, take the throne and it would be her right." He shook his head softly. "And Azula can never be Fire Lord."

Ozlon just looked at him for a moment then nodded. "I understand."

"Please understand that this has nothing to do with you and your character. You are a wonderful child who I love as my own. I wish you were my own son; but the fact of the matter is that you are not and we have to deal with it accordingly. And I'm sorry for that my boy."

Ozlon looked at Zuko tears in his eyes, "Its alright, I understand. I wish you were my father as well." He told him in a soft voice.

Zuko looked at the boy and smiled at him softly, motioning him over to him. Ozlon got up and ran to him, wrapping his arms around his neck as he kneeled on the ground. Zuki held the boy close, smiling a little bit. "I love you, Ozlon." He told him.

Ozlon pulled away from him, drying his tears. "I love you too, Uncle Zuko."

Zuko smiled at him, ruffling his shaggy black hair. "Go on and play." He told him, motioning to the door.

"Really?" The boy asked. "I thought Aunt Suki was going to kick you in the face."

Zuko just laughed a little bit, "She will, but I will manage." He told him with a soft smile. Ozlon hugged him again quickly and ran out the door. Zuko watched him go and sighed in relief, glad that it was finally over.

"That went well." came Suki's voice from the other door way in the dinning room. He looked over at her and smiled at her.

"You think?" He asked.

She nodded as she entered the room, her green and red robe swooshing as she walked. She kneed down on the other side of the table, gathering Ozlon's things and putting them in his leather school bag that was left behind. "You did a good job." He smiled at him. "I wish he was ours too." She told him smiling at him.

Zuko nodded, "We will get our chance." He told her. She reached out and grabbed his out stretched hand holding it gently. "You just get to have the sex talk with it." He told her, smiling.

"Noo-o-o-oo!" She said, rubbing his hand with her thumb. "Only if its a girl, if its a boy that is all you!"

"Thats fair." He let smiled at her, "You look pretty today." He told her as he looked her over.

"You burnt that bridge this morning mister." She said pulling her hand away.

"What?" He asked.

"You called me fat." She said to him playfully.

"I said that you had gained weight, thats all." He said laughing.

"Your right, thats is so much better." She rolled her eyes gently, standing up.

"I said you look nicer though, that counts for something, right?" She laughed as she talked over to his side of the table, sitting on it with her feet next to his legs. She reached out and held his cheek, running her thumb over the edge of his scar.

"I guess so." She said with a sign "How much longer are you going to be?" She asked him, motioning to the paper work in front of him after removing her hand from his face.

"A few more hours, I have a lot of things to look over." He told him, a hunt on sadness in his voice.

"I could keep you company If you like." She said to him, leaning forward so that her face was closer to his.

"I would like that very much." He smiled at him, "But Im worried that if you sat with me I'd never get it done."

She just nodded looking him over, "We do have a way of distracting one another, don't we?" He asked, smiling at him.

He just nodded, "We do." He took her hand and held it, kissing the top of it.

She smiled at his action, blushing ever so lightly "How about this... The normal place, at 3 this after noon." She asked him, a slight smirk on her face. "That way you will get you things done faster so you will be sure to be there."

He nodded in agreement, "I think I can manage that." They both leaned in and pressed their lips together in a soft and pleasant kiss. They held it there for a moment, before pulling away with smiles on their faces.

"Till then, Fire Lord." She said as she stood up and walked out of the room.


	4. The First Few Days

**5 Years after the 100 Year War **

Zuko looked at the piece of paper that was sitting blank on his desk with a brush and ink next to it. He felt like the paper was taunting him in a way. He cast his eyes away from the paper to the other work that was on his desk. He racked his mind thinking about what else he could do in place of this. He sighed realizing that there was nothing else he could do. For once in his life he had gotten all of his work done. It was not out of motivation to get these tasks completes, but instead to not have to do this.

He sighed and took the brush in his hands, dipping it into the ink and hovering it over the paper for a moment. 'Just do it.' He said to himself, placing the the brush to paper.

_"My Dearest Suki"_

It was all he got out before he put the bush down, looking at his writing. 'Dearest might be a little too forward.' He thought, twisting his mouth. He sighed a little bit and rubbed his face with his hands, trying to think of what to say.

"What would uncle say?" He asked himself aloud, looking at the paper. "He'd just tell me to look inside and speak from my heart and not let my mind stop it from saying what it wants to." He smiled a little bit at himself, feeling that he had channeled his uncle pretty well.

He closed his eyes and thought of Suki. Thinking about her face, her smile, her laugh brought great joy to his soul.

"Just be you." He told himself. He stood up and took off his Fire Lord head piece, undoing his top knot. His shoulder length black hair fell around his head, the strands brushing on his face and neck. He Took off his royal robes one part at a time, laying each one in a safe place on his desk. He stopped when he had just a simple shirt and pants on. His boots were the last thing to come off. He threw them onto the nearby sofa and then turned his attention to the paper. He blew on the ink, making sure that the words had cried. When he was sure that it had he rolled up the paper and stuck it into his pocket. He took out a new brush that he had been given, one that had ink built into it. He placed this into his pocket and turned to the window.

He climbed onto the window ceil, carefully placing his feet on the narrow ledge outside the window frame. He reached up, grabbing the ornate wood working. Making sure that the moon lit features were strong enough he lifted himself up by them. He managed to pull himself up into the awning that was covering the window. Once he was safely on top he turned his attention upward. He saw the large crest of the palace in front of him. It was going to be tricky, but nothing that he could not handle. He started to climb up the steep roof, finding his footing on the ridged gold edges that covered each of the corners of the structure. He went carefully higher up. It was night but the full moon was illuminating the world around him well. He climbed for several minutes before his arms and legs started to get sore from the activity.

"You're getting out of shape." He told himself as he climbed. Part of him was regretting this choice; but the other part of him would encourage him to continue, for her just as much him.

It took him about a half hour to reach the top of the tower. He flung himself over the landing and onto the marble floor of the royal observatory. He laid there for a moment, letting his muscles relax. He knew that he was not to the place he wanted to be though. He got up and lifted himself up onto the solid gold overhang. He found this part much more difficult because of the slick texture. He lost his grip at one point in time, slipping down a few feet. He gritted his teeth and reached back up, taking a firmer grip climbing higher.

In a matter of time he had gone as high as he could. He stood at the very top of the fire nation palace of a small flat area that was no bigger than a few feet square looking out at the ocean around him. He was high enough so that he could see over the rim of the dormant Volcano and could feel the wind as it came in off the ocean. He turned towards what he knew was the south east, letting the wind whip his hair all around his face. He closed his eyes letting the wind take his mind far away, to an island almost on the other side of the world. He smiled to himself thinking that Suki was on that Island, so very far away, and was likely thinking about him in that moment.

It came to him in that moment; exactly what he wanted to say. He sat on the small area that he was standing pulling out his brush and parchment. He wrote, letting the words flow from his heart and nothing else.

_"I know that it has only been a few days since I last saw you, but it feels like an eternity. It pains me to know that we will not see one another for nearly a year. It also brings great joy to me thinking about how I will feel when I will see you after all that time. In my heart I believe that that moment will be well worth the time that we are apart. _

_"I just want you to know that while you are gone, you will still be the only one on my mind and in my heart. I will think of no one else the way that I do you; I never will. I don't care if its brash, if its possessive, if its inappropriate; its what my heart is telling me and I will follow that all the days of my life. _

_"I was struggling with the right words to say to you in this letter; not sure what I should say and how I should say it. Once I really thought about it though it was, as you have told me, not me struggling but me believing that I was struggling. This is not fair of me to you. I should never struggle when it comes to you. You are the one piece of clarity in my life and I will never again compromise that with my foolishness. That is my promise to you._

_"I miss you so much, my darling. I miss your smile, your beautiful eyes. I miss the presence that you have in my life and in my home. I feel lost without you sometimes. I keep worrying that I'm going to make some kind of mistake without you by my side. I've not yet; which makes me think that I am able to do what I need to with a degree of success but that I'd much rather have you with me than doing it alone." _

He looked back out at the ocean, letting the wind blow his hair about. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, taking in the smells of the ocean air. He wrote the last part slowly as if to clarify his resolve in the matter.

_"I love you Suki, and I long for the day that we can be with one another again. _

_Always your's, _

_Zuko" _


	5. All's Fair

**22 years after the End of the 100 Year War **

Zuko walked into the training room in the Fire nation palace, reaching around to his back and undoing the fastener that held his gold belt into place on his waist. He took it off carefully, laying it on a table off to the side, looking over at his wife who was in the middle of the room stretching.

"Your late." She told him, her voice being both playfully and patronizing. Suki had stripped off her long robe, and was only in a tight thank top and leggings, both of which were subtly different shades of green.

"I told you that I had work to do." He told her, speaking to her in slightly sarcastic voice. He took off his red, gold lined robe laying it on the table. He next took off the armor that was on his forearms and shoulders, then turned his attention to his boots.

"And I thought I told you to hurry up." She said with a smile as she walked over to him. "You have more clothes than any woman, I swear." She told him, playfully teasing him. He just laughed, going to undo the belt on his under shirt after throwing his boots aside. She reached for it before he got to it, using her delicate fingers to undo the knot. "Put your hair down." She told him her eyes on her work.

"Your very bossy today." He said to her with a smirk. He did what she said however, reaching up and pulling his top knot loose, letting the top half on his hair fall down and meet the bottom half.

"I know, but you like it." She told him, pulling off his shirt and exposing his bare chest. She smiled to herself, looking at his bare skin. He looked at her grin and smiled himself, removing the shirt and throwing it aside.

"You ready then?" He asked her, some of his hair falling onto his face. She nodded, taking his hand and brining him out to the middle of the exercise floor. "What are the rules?" He asked, letting go of her hand.

"Hand to hand, no Bending." She said.

He sighed, looking at her with his hands on his hips "Why no bending?" He asked.

"Last time you used bending I ended up with no eye brows." she told him, smiling.

He nodded thinking to himself looking at the floor, "Thats right I did do that."

"So no bending this first time around, we may do something else if you manage to win." she told him, biting her lip. She was really just looking at Zuko and the way his body was looking in that moment. She had not lied that morning when she said that he had gotten better looking as time went on. He was still very fit and good looking like he had been so long ago, but it was different now. He was more mature in both his face and body and it was something that she could not get enough of.

"Ready, Fire Lady?" He asked her. He noticed in that moment that she was standing in the exactly location that she had been the first time they had kissed. He felt a pinging feeling in his heart, remembering that moment.

"Ready as I will ever be." She told him, crouching down and putting herself into a fighting stance.

He laughed and ran at her, his arm out parallel to the ground. As he came at her she smiled and ducked, spinning around him and laying a blow on his side, only to have him block it. Zuko loved sparring with her, it was was had brought them together in the years after the war. He had heard about her fighting abilities from Sokka and the others, and seen her in the corse of their training and escape from Boiling Rock. It was something massively different to fight her one on one. The first time that they sparred, on the beach at Ember island he believed that she could have beat Azula.

As they both dodged and charged one another, the afternoon sun light spilling in the room though the large windows as they concentrated on one another's movements. Neither of them were gaining anything over the other, and exhausting themselves as they did so. They were both still in good physical shape, and were just as quick and strong as they used to be. They still fought one another with passion and a great deal of enthusiasm. There was an unspoken worry between the two of them that after so many years of their playful contest things would become stale and boring. They had the same sort of feeling when it came to their love making. After 20 years they were both pleasantly surprised to find that things were still fresh. Each time they did one of these two activities they would discover new, and rediscover old things about one another's bodies and styles.

Suki dodged a blow that he tried to deliver to her chest with her right arm. She used the momentum from the contact to spin herself around him, her back to his. He smirked to himself as he saw his opening. He used the force from her spin to continue the spin on himself. He shifted his weight, spinning around so that he was facing her back. As he did so he slipped one of his arms under hers and around her waist, clenching her tight. Suki cried out a little bit as he lifted her up off the ground, putting her hands on his arm around her waist. She laughed happily as he placed his other arm around her waist, her legs kicking at the air. A large smile spread across his face as he buried it into the nape of her neck.

He sat her down on her feet, still holding her tightly. She reached back and took a hold of the right side of his face, sighing happily. "You won."

He nodded, "I did." He kissed her on the neck then pulled away. "You did good though." He told her.

"You too." She said to him. He pulled away from her, panting to catch his breath. "I think your getting better."

He laughed a little bit, tucking some hair behind his ears. "Well that is nice of you to say." He looked her over, smiling to himself as he looked at her sweaty body, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. "Again?" He asked.

She nodded, "Ok. You can bend this time." She told him, much to his amusement.

They went at it again, this time his fire bending in full effect. Suki found that when she was fighting him like this it was less about her strength and more about her stamina. She was having to leap as high as her legs would let her, then roll to miss his fire blast in the next moment. She knew that she just had to wait it out and then she could make her move. Concurrently he was finding it much harder to keep up with her when she was moving around like this. Fire bending was more natural to him, but exhausting at the same time. She moved as quickly as she could, running and jumping circles around him.

When it became apparent that he was getting tired she made her move. She went into him close, rolling herself on him as she had done in the last bout. He smirked to himself, thinking that she should know better than to do the same thing twice. He went to spin around, reaching for her waist again. This time she was ready for him though. She grabbed his hand and shifted her weight down quickly, pulling him with her. Between her momentum, strength and own weight she was able to life him off his feet, over her head and slamming him onto the floor in front of her.

As soon as his back made contact with the floor he groaned arching his back in pain. It was not the fake reaction to pain that he was prone to do to gain symphony from her, it was real. "Oh Sprits!" She called out, going to him. "I really hurt you didn't I?" She said, half laughing. He just groaned again, clenching his eyes tight as he nodded. "I'm sorry." She told him with her soft voice, trying to hold back laughter.

"Whats so funny?" He asked her, reeling in pain.

She just shook her head, laughing at him more. "I don't know, Its just funny." She sat on the ground, placing both of her knees on either side of his head and holding his face, looking at him upset down. "I'm sorry." She said to him, trying to stop her laughing.

He frowned closing his eyes as he let out an annoyed sighed, "You really hurt me." he told her. "I just grabbed you around the waist, you tried to break my back." he spoke to her in an slightly angry voice.

She just nodded, smiling at him as she rubbed his face, temples, and forehead in a comforting way. "Quit being a drama queen, you are ok." She told him. He said nothing and laid his arms out on the ground, laying them out straight as he started to relax. "That is what you get for thinking that you can pull the same trick on a Kyoshi Warrior twice." She told him, running her fingers along the roughness of his scar.

He just smirked a little bit, "I guess thats a good point." He laughed again, brushing hair out of his face. He opened his eyes and looked at her, smiling softly. "You did a good job." He told her.

"You think?"

He nodded, "Yes. I'm proud of you." He told her in all seriousness.

"I'm glad." She looked at the sunlight as it was coming into the room at a sharper angle, the color changing. "Its getting late." She told him.

"We don't have Ozlon for dinner." He told her, "He is eating with mother in the Villa."

She smiled, cocking an eye brow, "So we are alone for the evening, is that what you are telling me?"

He just nodded, smirking a little bit "That is what I am telling you."

She smiled and leaned down going to kiss him, he leaned his head up a little bit in expectation of meeting her lips. When they were inches away from one another there was a voice from the door way, "Lady Suki..." The small female voice said. Suki sat up and looked at the door, leaving Zuko's head hanging in mid air. He frowned and laid his head back down.

"Kaime, what is it?" Suki asked the girl. The young girl was dressed in the uniform of a Kyoshi warrior. The warriors still acted as the primary security for the royal family after all this time. Suki was no longer a warrior but was still actively involved with the group. She had trained Kaime at the dojo she started in town when Kaime was just a child.

"I'm sorry to bother your majesties but your attention is needed in the Dormitory." She said to Suki in her soft voice.

Suki just nodded, "Of corse. I will be there in a moment." Suki told her. Kaime nodded as she bowed and quickly left the room, perhaps feeling a little embarrassed. "I need to go." She told Zuko.

He just nodded, "I understand."

"It won't take long." She assured him. "Do you need help getting up?" She asked.

He shook his head, "I'm ok. I'm gonna lay here for a bit."

She laughed at him, knowing that he was in pain but that he would never admit it to himself or to her. She took his hand into hers and held it gently, kissing his warm palm before laying it on his chest. "I will see you here in a bit." She told him.

He just nodded, smiling at her. Suki stood up and walked over, grabbing her robe from the hook it was on. He turned his head so he could watch her as she moved. She placed the robe on her small frame and left the room, smiling back at him as she did so.

Zuko watched her leave the room, one hand out stretched and the other across his chest, his hair spread out on the ground around his head. He closed his eyes trying to think about something special or important; anything to justify why he was still laying there in pain after getting his butt kicked by his wife.


	6. Ozlon, Zuko, Suki

_I put three little sections in this chapter to make it long enough. Thanks to everyone who is reading and a BIG thanks to those who are reviewing. Please let me know what you think, even if you hate it. _

* * *

Ozlon looked at the dinner that was in front of him, frowning gently as he took a noodle out of the thin yellow soup with his fingers. He turned his nose up letting it fall back into the soup, listening to the soft splash that the noodle made. He laughed a little bit to himself, then looked across the table to see the disapproving scowl on his grandmother's face.

"Sorry." He told her, picking up his bowl and sipping at the broth. Ursa just smiled at him softly. The woman was in her late 50s, her age showing in her face and grey hairs. She was still as simple and beautiful as she had been when Zuko was young, there was just more age on her now.

"Its alright." She told him, looking at him with gentle eyes. She found it amazing how this boy looked like both of her children, and neither of them all at the same time. She saw a great deal of Azula in him, his smile mainly. He had his grand father's smile. It was his eyes that were very much like her own and Zuko's, and were the part of the boy that were the most expressive. "So I hear you and your uncle had a talk today." She told him, as if in passing.

He stopped sipping his soup, setting it down. "Um... Yeah."

"How are you feeling?" She asked him.

He nodded, thinking. "Good. I'm actually kinda glad."

"Really? The way he spoke you seemed quite upset."

He shook his head, "That wasn't it. I was happy when he told me that I was not going to be Fire Lord. I never wanted to be that, its too much pressure and I don't think I would be good at it. I was worried that I was going to have to do it." He smiled a little bit, "Now I know I don't have to."

She nodded, "I understand." She smiled her warm smile at him "Then why were you upset?" She asked her grandson.

"It was the other thing he said, that he wished I was has own son." he said, smiling to himself.

"I can image how he would feel that. Its like your are his own already in a way. Even though you are not physically his son he and Suki are the ones who raised you. They are your parents."

He nodded, smiling to himself wider. He felt a nice soothing feeling come over him at the thought of that. He had always thought of himself as an orphan, a child without parents. The fact of the matter was that he did have parents, a mother and father who were not required to love him but did anyways. The thought brought tears to his eyes again.

She just smiled at him, "I know that its a little much to take in. Try not to worry about it though." She told him.

He just nodded, "I won't." he assured her.

* * *

Zuko sat in bed with his back to the headboard, his knees bent making a sort of area for him to rest his book on. He had the book open to page three, it staring up at him. He read the line in the book that he knew he had left off at. He squinted his eyes as he read, trying to take in what was being spoken to him though the words on the paper. He tried to reflect on the sentence before moving on. It was in this reflection that he realized that he had read that sentence before. In fact he had read this sentence several times over the past two years in a constant yet futile attempt to read the book that he had been given by his mother. He closed the book and got out of bed going to the window. He held the book his his hand, lighting it on fire with his fire bending, then chucked it out the window as hard as he could. He smiled at the great sense of satisfaction he felt at seeing the little ball of fire falling though the night sky. He just sighed happily. Once the flaming book was out of sight the guilt hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I'm an idiot." He said under his breath. He went back to the bed, falling onto it on his stomach with a groan. His back was still hurting from before, but less so now. She was right of corse, he was being dramatic. "She is always right." He said into the bed, sighing a little bit.

He lifted his head, looking at the side of the bed that Suki slept in that was empty. He hated it when he missed her like this. It felt so childish to long for someone like this. He clenched his eyes closed tight and hugged his pillow, trying to think of something else. All he could think of was the empty side of the bed. He had tried to be romantic by having dinner brought to their room so they could eat while in bed; only to have her never show up. The food was still sitting on the dresser, cold by now no doubt. He was extremely hungry, but stopped himself from eating anything as a form of silent protest.

A sinking dreadful feeling came over him in that moment, knowing that tonights events would lead to an argument between him and his wife. Arguing is something that had become common place in their relationship over the past yew years. It was his own fault mostly, he had an uncanny ability to fly off the handle and overreact to little things. It was something that usually she was able to contain but as of the late she would just fight back. He had no idea how two people who loved one another so much could take a simple misunderstanding into an all out war. There had been a few times that a fight of theirs had turned violent but this was one thing that he did not like to think about at all due to the overwhelming guilt he felt about it.

He rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling as he ran his fingers though his hair. It was late, the sun would be rising in only a few hours. He knew that he should sleep but apart of him wanted to stay awake, waiting for her. He knew better of corse, that waiting up for her would make the situation worse. He pulled his blanket over himself rolling onto his side facing away from Suki's side of the bed. The sinking feeling was will present in his stomach as he drifted of to sleep.

* * *

Suki came into the bedroom, removing her robe silently. She looked over and saw her her husband sleeping in their large bed. She put her red and green robe onto the dresser, frowning over at him. She could hear him breathing lightly, telling her that he was a sleep. She saw the food on the dresser and frowned more. She appreciated the gesture and felt a little guilty that she had not made a better attempt to get back in time. She had just been hung up working with the Warriors and was unable to get away till now.

She knew that he would get upset, that he would over react to her not showing up. He would take it personal and assume that she hated him or something, even when he knew that was not the case. He was still very much the temperamental boy that be had been all those years ago. Emotional and prone to overreaction. She was usually able to control his emotions and out breaks. As time had gone along though she found it harder and harder to do so.

She removed her shirt and tights, sitting naked on the stool in the room. She held her face in her hands, placing her elbows on her knees. She watched the figure in the bed, not sure if she should sleep next to him or not. She knew that as good as things were between them today they would be that bad tomorrow. She closed her eyes as tears fell from them and onto her cheeks. She was so hurt as of late because of what was going on in between them. All this anger, animosity, and fear. She held her hands, looking down at them as tears fell. She still loved him with all her heart, and she knew he did too. It was this simple fact that made the situation even harder. She felt that if they did not love one another that they could move on; they could do and be something else. It was because of their love that they held onto one another, no matter how much it hurt.

Suki stood up and went silently to the wardrobe room on the other side of the bedroom. Without turning the light on she grabbed a clean robe and undergarments. She saw a glimmer of gold out of the corner of her eye. In the dim light she could make out Zuko's gold belt on its pedestal, the fire lord head piece next to it. He had had the belt made several years ago as a way to have a piece that would mark his royalty, but that was not as stiff and formal at the headpiece. She walked over to the pair or relics, touching them with the tips of her fingers the gold slick and cold under his fingers. She closed her eyes, recalling the moment that he had first gotten it and how amazing it had looked on him. She just smiled a little bit as she pulled her hand back, leaving the wardrobe. She held her clothes as she walked from the bedroom, glancing over him as she did. She lit a small lamp in the living room of the apartment, dressing silently. Once she was done she left the apartment, going back toward the Kyoshi dormitories ware there was always a bed open for her.


	7. Anger and Saddness

_I hope that the time line of this story is making sense. Its jumps around a little to keep things interesting. Each Chapter will have a date at the top of it. If there is no date, assume that the even takes place 22 years after the end of war, when he is 38 and she 37. _

**20 years after the end of the 100 Year War**

The bowl of fire flakes was empty save for a dozen or so of them in the very bottom. Zuko picked up the bowl, dumping the remaining particles into his mouth. He frowned, looking at the empty bowl before sitting it aside. He turned his attention back to the document that was on his desk. He tried to focus on it but was unable to. After so long all the things that he had to look at just started looking the same to him. He rubbed his eyes, sighing as he did so. Suki walked into her husband's private office, a letter in her hand and a smile on her face. She knocked on the door frame looking at him. He looked up at her smiling. "Hello darling." He told her lovingly. He saw the large smile on her face, "What is it?"

She laughed a little bit, "Its a boy!" She told him happily.

His face lit up in a smile, "Really?" he asked, standing up.

She nodded, holding out the letter in her hand. "They named him Tenzin." She told him, her smile wider.

"Is he..." He asked, walking over to her.

She nodded as she grinned, "An Air Bender!" She said happily. He laughed loudly and went to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up, spinning her around with him; her legs dangling beneath her. He sat her down smiling at her.

"This is amazing." he told her. He was truly ecstatic at this news. The continuation of the Air Nomads was something that was very important to him. It was in fact one of his biggest things that he had sought to do in his time as Fire Lord. He was a firm advocate of the Air Acolytes, supporting them in any and all ways possible. As far as creating new Airbenders; that was something that was all on Aang's end and something that he had succeed at.

She nodded happily, "The first air bender in 120 years!" She told him, placing her hands on his chest.

"Its such a relief." He told her, still smiling from ear to ear.

She nodded, "And there is something else." She told him, her voice a mixture of happiness and and dread.

"What is it?" he asked, feeling great confusion by the tone of her voice.

"Toph is pregnant." She said in a voice that was little more than a whisper. Her eyes were sad but she was smiling a little bit.

He blinked in surprised as he looked at her. "Toph Beifong?" He asked. She nodded. "Sokka?" He inquired, assuming that the close friends had finally taken the leap and become committed to one another.

She shook her head, "Nope. Just a guy that she has been seeing the last few months. Found out a few weeks ago."

He nodded rubbing her back that was still around her waist, "Well good." He said to her. He could sense the sadness in her eyes and frowned, not knowing what to say to her. He just leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, placing a hand on the back of her head as he did so.

She just smiled as he did this, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It will be really interesting to see her as a mother." She told him.

He pulled away and nodded at her, "Will likely be an earth bender. Can you image the poor little kid that has her as a mother and master?" She just laughed, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry Suki." He told her, feeling the pain in her voice.

"Its ok." She told him, looking down and shaking her head. "I know you don't wanna talk about it."

He sighed letting her go and pulling away "Its not that." he told her.

"Then what is it?" She asked him.

"Its just pointless to be sad about it." He said, walking back over to his desk and looking at the paper work there with his back to her.

"I just don't know what else to think or feel about it other than to be sad." She told him, walking to him and putting a hand on his back, rubbing a little bit.

"That is alight for you, but I don't have the luxury of being able to be sad." He said to her, his voice shallow and empty.

She pulled away from him, frowning with her eye brows gathered, "What are you talking about?" She asked him. She moved to the side of him, looking at his profile in the dimming sun light that came though the window. "What part of what we are going though is a luxury?"

"I just don't feel the need to be sad about it." He told her, looking at her.

"Then what do you feel?" She asked. "You have to feel something."

He just shook his head as he looked away from her again, "I don't feel anything. I can't feel anything for something like this. Feeling will just slow me down and I can't have that."

She looked at him with an angry look on her face, "This is not something that is simple Zuko! This is a big deal..."

He just nodded, "I know." he said under his breath.

"If there is anything that you have ever had a good reason to care about, it's this!"

"I know." He said again.

"So don't tell me that you don't care about this Zuko, you have to care about this." He said nothing as she spoke to him, his face getting read. "Its not like this is just something that I want, its something that we need; for us, for this nation, for this ENTIRE WORLD!"

He turned to her quickly, his face read with anger, "You think I don't know these things?" He was raising his voice to her, something that he had before never done. "You think I'm not totally aware of what is at stake with this? I am, more than you know. But you know what Suki, I have shit to do." He looked at her face which was getting reader. He knew that he should stop but found himself unable to do so. "I can't walk around being sad about it, crying about it like you can. So if you wanna be sad about it, fine; but don't get upset with me when I'm not. If you have a problem with that you can just go back and fuck Sokka like you want to. I'm sure that he will be more than happy to give you all the babies you want."

He felt the bottom of his world fall out from under him as soon as he finished what he said. There were a lot of failures in his past; but nothing compared to what he had just said to his partner of 20 years. He could tell by the look on her face that the damage he had just inflicted would run much deeper than he expected, or wanted it to.

The look in her eyes and on her face was a terrifying mix of extreme sadness and total rage. He tried to open his mouth, to speak to her in some way that would make it up to her. Nothing came out in time though. She drew her hand back, clenching it into a fist as she punched him as hard she she could on his right cheek.

He felt his a jolt of pain spread across his face as her fist made contact. The impact sent his head back a little bit. He out his hands up over his face in his attempt to block any blows that may follow. She instead went down, slamming her other clenched fist into the the fleshy part of his stomach. He groaned at the action, trying to grab her hands to prevent her from hitting him any more. She went to move her knee up to his groin as he grabbed her hands. He twisted his hips just in time so that her knee did not hit his privates right on. He still felt the extreme pressure and bent over in pain. She freed one of her hands and used it to hit him again, this time on the jaw. It was enough to throw him off his balance, sending him onto the floor behind him. She stood over him, her face still red with rage. He looked up at her, holding his jaw in pain.

"How dare you talk to me like that." She told him in a voice that was an angry whisper. "I have been committed to no one but you for two decades now." There were tears doing down her cheeks as she spoke to him, her voice rising as she leaned down towards him. "I left my life, my career, my first love, EVERYTHING FOR YOU!" He watched her yell at him, tears in his own eyes now. She was sobbing, trying to maintain herself as she yelled. "I am your wife, and I am scared and I am worried about us!" He looked up at her, both of them having tears on their cheeks now. "This is not just about having sex, or having a baby or a family. This is our Life!" She stood up straight covering her eyes with one of her hands as she cried. "I have no idea how you could say that to me, after everything that I have done for you, that we have done together."

"Suki..." he said to her under his breath, reaching out for her with his hand.

She shook her head, turning away from him. "Don't!" She told him firmly as she walked out of the room still crying.

He sat up, watching her go with tears running down his cheeks. He placed his hands on each of his head, shaking his head as he grit his teeth in anger. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he asked himself, his voice shaking from the tears. He slowly got up using his desk as a brace as he held his stomach in pain. He got to his feet trying to calm himself but feeling unable to stop the tears from coming. He stood all the way up as he took deep, calming breaths. He looked at himself in the mirror that was in the office, looking at his red tear streaked face and mussed up hair. He closed his eyes and turned from his own reflection, feeling that he was unable to look at himself in that moment.


	8. Suki's Poem

_Short Chapter. This is a balance to last chapter's... incident. Also its a warning to say that the next chapter is going to be an intimate one. If you don't want to read it you can skip ahead and what not. I just wanted to give readers a heads up. _

_Thanks so much for all your views and what not! Leave me some reviews so I can know how I'm doing! _

* * *

**5 years after the end of the War **

Suki held the letting that she had just gotten from Zuko in her hands, holding it with the tips of her fingers. She smiled as she held it, smelling him on the paper. She found herself blushing as her mind wandered to her boyfriend, thinking about his lips on hers. She was pleasantly surprised at the letter and how open he had been with her. It was a struggle with her, even after all this time to get him to open up to her, to get him to be honest; and here he was letting his feelings flow out all over the paper. She swooned at the thought of it, holding the letter close to her chest.

She looked out at the Sea surrounding Kyoshi Island, her fellow warriors practicing their forms in the noon day son. She knew that she was needed here, but felt such a longing to be with him in that moment.

"Commander Suki." A voice said from behind her. One of her fellow warriors was standing in the door, her white face paint reflecting Suki's.

"Yes?" Suki asked.

The girl bowed at her recognition, "You are needed in the west dojo for an inspection in a little while." The girl told her.

"When?" She asked.

"Not for another half hour or so."

Suki just nodded, bowing and excusing the girl. The girl left and Suki sat down at the small desk in her room, looking at the fresh sheet of paper in front of her.

She wrote down a tanka style poem that she had tossed around in her head in the days since she was on the island, thinking that it was exactly what she wanted to say to express herself.

_Strong, soft hands on fire._

_An Island across the sea. _

_Far to far away;_

_But my heart still reaches there, _

_Longing for your touch again. _

_Suki_

She smiled at herself, looking down at it. She thought of putting more, but though that the poem in its simplicity spoke more than any words would be able to. She rolled the paper up and sealed it with wax, taking it to the hawkery and sent the hawk that had brought his letter off with hers.

She petted the hawk's smooth fathers before it flew off. She just smiled to herself as she watched it fly, carrying a letter to her love.


	9. The Make-up

_Back to the "present". Again this is a sex chapter so you can not read it and its no biggie; Or if you wanna read it that is fine too. I happen to think that it is pretty good and worth the read but I will let you all be the judge of that. This chapter is going to be MA, I think, so just be aware. :)_

_I don't own this stuff, but I do own a bust of JFK. _

* * *

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

A few large red bags sat open on Suki and Zuko's bed, plies of clothing and personal items all over the bed. Suki folded a pair of her leggings and stuffed them in one of the bags. She was not speaking much to her lady in waiting that was helping her pack. "Will Fire Lord Zuko be needing more than one pair of boots?" The meek lady asked her.

Suki just shook her head, "No, one shall be enough Lorina." She said to the brown haired green eyed woman. Lorina had been a friend of Suki's while she was growing up on Kyoshi island. Lorina was a few years older and had by passed being Warrior like Suki to get married and have a family. Her husband had died several years ago leaving her with two young girls. Her girls were now in their late teens and were both Kyoshi warriors who worked as security in the palace. Lorina had been Suki's head lady in waiting for almost 7 years now and helped her with any and all tasks that she needed done.

"You must be excited to go, how long has it been since you have been to Air Temple Island?" Lorina asked.

"A few months," Suki told her, "Ozlon is going with this this time though, which I know he is looking forward to it." Ozlon was 5 years older than Katara and Aang's daughter Kya and he loved to play with the children whenever he could.

Lorina nodded gently, smiling at her. "My girls told me that you slept in the dormitories last night." She told Suki, worry in her voice.

Suki just nodded, putting some clothes into a bag, "Yeah..." She spoke in a soft voice.

"Are things ok?" Lorina asked.

Suki nodded. "Yes. I just got in late last night and did not want to wake Zuko." She told her friend with a soft smile.

Lorina just nodded as she smiled softly. "I see." She knew that was not the case. She, more than anyone, had seen the strain that the deteriorating relationship had taken on Suki. She had herself heard them arguing, sometimes late into the night. She felt such sorrow for her friend in her current state but knew that there was little that she could do.

Suki looked up at the door leading into the bedroom, her husband standing there leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest. Lorina looked up and saw him too, turning to him and bowing. "Your Majesty." He smiled at her, nodding his head toward her ever so gently. Lorina turned back to Suki "I will take my leave." She told her, bowing and exiting though the door that Zuko was standing in. Lorina had been around the couple enough to know when they needed to be left alone.

Suki just lowered her eyes back to her work, placing things into the bags. Zuko stood in the door frame watching her, saying nothing. He finally lifted himself off the door frame after a few moments, walking over to the bed and helping her place things into the bags. They both packed, saying nothing to one another for a little while. When their hands came close to each others, she simply reached out and squeezed his hand tightly keeping her eyes down. He looked at her, his face expressionless. When she went to pull her had from his he grabbed hers, not letting her pull away. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. It was when he looked her in the eyes that his heart filled with grief.

He leaned forward and pressed his thin lips on her full ones. She placed her hand on his cheek embracing the kiss. They stood up together as they kissed, their tongues pressing against one another's. He reached down and undid the sash holding her robe in place and pulled it apart. She moaned into the kiss as he reached up and placed his hand on her breast, squeezing it softly. She pulled her robe off, letting it slide to the floor. He reached around and unfastened her top from the back, pulling it off her to revel her naked chest.

She gasped gently as she took her hands to his waist. With his help she took his gold belt off, laying it on the bed carefully. Both of his hands went back to her chest, holding them and pinching her nipples gently. Her body heated up as she removed his robe and upper body armor, letting them fall to the floor. She finally opened his under shirt exposing his bare chest. She touched it eagerly, his skin feeling like fire under her hands.

He pulled away from her smiling at her as he trailed his hand down her waist. He slipped his hand under her panties and down in between her legs. Suki arched her back and gasped hard as his finger found her most sensitive spot. He started kissing her neck as she pulled the red ribbon out of his hair letting it down so she could run her fingers though it. He rubbed her spot as he sucked on her neck, moaning ever so gently. She undid the belt on his pants with one hand and slid them down past the flesh of his bottom. She reached her hand down there, squeezing it gently.

He took his free hand and pushed down her delicate underpants, pulling it down past her hips and onto her thighs. She pulled away from him a little bit making him pull away from her neck. She removed her hand from his bottom, pushing her own panties down the rest of the way and stepping out of them. She slid his pants down and off, taking his manhood in her hand and stroking it a little bit. He pressed his lips to hers again as he moaned happily, melting at her touch.

He pulled her hands away from him, placing both of them around his neck. She held onto him tightly, digging her fingers into his hair as they kissed. He wrapped his arms around her hips, picking up and carrying her to the other side of the bed. He laid her soft pale body down on a part of the bed that was void of any items laid out for packing. She pulled him down to the bed with him, spreading her legs so he could lay down on top of her in between her legs. She pulled her arms away from his neck looking up at him and tucking some of his black hair behind his ear with a soft smile on her face.

They looked into one another's eyes for a moment, both of their bodies heating up with passion. She lifted her knees up so that his hips could come closer to hers as she held his scared cheek. He reached down and took himself into his hand, placing himself inside her. She gasped a little bit, her eyes fluttering as he pressed himself inside of her. Her lips puffed out as she ran her fingers though his long hair, feeling her body melt under him. She wrapped her legs around his hips, giving him more room to move. He pressed himself all the way into her, watching her face as he did so.

He pressed his forehead to her's as they both breathed hot air onto one another. He moved in and out of her; one hand wrapped around the back of her knee, the other on the bed next to her waist allowing him to brace himself up. Her breath was filled with gentle moans that became longer and louder each time he moved in and out of her. The closer that she got to the edge of pleasure the tighter her grip on her husband became. He pressed their lips together once again as he felt the walls of her womanhood tighten around him. She cried out a little bit into the kiss as she climaxed, pulling on his hair as pleasure rippled though her body. The vibrations from her orgasm sent him over the edge. He pressed himself into her as far as he could and released himself deep inside of her moaning hard.

Neither of them moved for what felt like a long time. They just looked into one another's eyes, their open lips barely touching one another's. She eventually closed her mouth, looking away and breaking their gaze. He looked away as well, sitting up and pulling out of her. He rolled off her and sat on the bed, looking away. She sat up next to him, holding his hand in her lap and laying her head on his shoulder. He looked over to her and smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry." She finally said, breaking the long silence.

"You didn't do anything wrong." He told her in a voice that sounded like a sigh, his head still resting on top of hers.

She looked at him and smiled a little bit, nodding gently. "Alright." He pressed his lips to hers in a sloppy kiss, making them both smile. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he reached back and rubbed the small of her naked back.

"I've not ate in twenty four hours." He said to her, his eyes wide.

She just laughed and kissed him on the cheek, "Poor thing. What do you say we get them to bring us something to eat?" She asked.

He nodded, "I would like that very much." He told her with a smile.


	10. Air Temple Island

_Short chapters + procrastinating on school work = frequent updates. Thanks for reading. _

_I don't own this stuff, but I do own an Original Bondi Blue iMac. _

* * *

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

"Sit down, you are freaking me out." Suki told Ozlon as they sat in the living room of the royal air ship. She was trying to read a book but was unable to because of the boy who was all over the room. He was touching things, looking out the window and over all being very agitated.

"I'm sorry." He told her, sitting on the sofa across from her and laying down on it. "How long have we been on here?" He asked, his voice sounding annoyed.

"Its been a day Ozlon." She told him.

He groaned and rolled off the sofa, flopping down on the floor hard. "I'm SO BORED!" he yelled, holding his head.

"I told you to bring your school work." She told him as her eyes went back to her book.

"But then you would expect me to do it."

"Well yes, that is the point." She said chuckling. He just growled a little bit, his body laying sprawled out on the thick gold carpet. She smiled at him and got up, setting her book aside. She went over to Ozlon and laid down on her stomach next to him. She turned her head towards him, smiling at him. "Can I ask you something?" She asked him.

He just shrugged, not looking at her. "I guess."

"Are we still friends?" She said.

He looked at her somewhat surprised, "What do you mean?"

"Are we still friends?"

"Were we ever not?" He asked her, frowning a little bit.

She shrugged as she looked at him, "I'm not sure, you've just not really talked to me here recently." She said a hint of sadness in her voice.

Ozlon frowned because he knew it to be the case. He had been unintentionally snubbing his aunt for the past few months. He was not sure why exactly, but he had been feeling neglected as of late. He had heard Ursa talking to one of the ladies about how Suki had been researching means of getting pregnant, and that it made him feel very uneasy. It may have been jealousy or something, he was not really sure. He did know that he had just been really angry at his Aunt recently.

He just nodded, "I'm sorry." He told her sadly.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked him. He shook his head at first; but then looked at her and nodded. "Tell me." She told him, patting his cheek.

"When you have a baby you won't love me anymore." He said quickly, his honest words even surprising him.

She sighed "I'm sorry you feel that way hun, but your wrong." She told him with a soft smile. "You are just as much my child as the one that I will have will be." He sat his chin on the floor, looking forward to avoid her eyes. "Your uncle and I raised you Ozlon. That bound is just as true and strong as that of blood." She reached out and petted his black hair as she looked at him. "So when your uncle and I do have a child you will not loose parents, you will gain a sibling." She told him. He just smiled a little bit at the thought of having a little brother or sister. He always thought that it would be fun. "Please don't be sad." She told him. "We love you so much and nothing will change that." She leaned over and kissed the side of his head, smiling at him.

A door on the far side of the cabin slid open as Zuko walked in, a familiar face behind him. "Look what I found outside." He told them both.

Ozlon looked up and smiled wide, "AANG!" he cried happily, jumping up and running over to the Avatar, hugging him around his waist.

"Its my favorite child of a crazy person, other than my own children!" He said happily as he hugged the boy. Zuko went over to Suki and reached down, helping her up. When Aang pulled away from Ozlon he turned his attention to her.

"Hello old friend." She told him with a smile.

He hugged her close smiling, "Hello Suki." He pulled away, looking her over. "I swear you get prettier each time I see you." She laughed, blushing gently. "Just don't tell my wife I said that." he said with a smile.

She laughed again, rubbing his bald head playfully. "Deal."

As they walked out of the cabin and into the hall way leading up to the top of the airship Aang and Ozlon walked together, Suki and Zuko behind them. "How is your training going?" Aang asked him, excited to her about it.

Ozlon just nodded, "Its going ok. Its getting harder though."

Aang nodded, "Bending is like that. Listen to what your Uncle tells you, he is a good teacher." He told him, looking back at Zuko with a smile. Zuko returned the smile and took Suki's hand into his own and squeezing it tightly. "Just sometimes he is wrong, but you have to kinda deal with that." Aang said, his eyes facing forward again.

"When he is wrong?" Ozlon asked as they walked up a flight of stairs.

"Well... sometimes."

"How will I know when he is wrong?"

"Well you won't; and neither will he. And even if he was he could never admit it to himself if he was. But then again he is usually not right, but not really wrong. He is always right though, make sure you remember that. " Aang told him scratching his bearded chin. Ozlon raised an eye brow to him, not really sure what to think of the Avatar from time to time.

They reached the door that lead to the top of air ship. The four of them walked out into the windy area towards the Flying Bison that was resting nearby. Their bags had already been loaded onto the saddle and they were ready for take off. Zuko walked over to the bison and placed his hand on Appa's huge nose.

"Hey Buddy." He told him with a smile. Appa growled happily at seeing the fire Lord. Suki and Ozlon petted Appa's head, giving him their greetings.

"You drive." Aang said, grabbing Suki around the waist and Airbending them up onto the saddled. She laughed happily as he did so.

Zuko helped Ozlon up and then got on himself, sitting at the top of the saddle. It had been a while since he had flown the giant beast but figured that it would be something that you never forget how to do. He grabbed the reins tightly looking back. When he knew that everyone was seated he pulled on the rains gently saying "Yip Yip!" Just laugh enough so that he could be heard over the whirl of the air ship engines.

Appa smacked his tail onto the top of the ship and lifted up into the sky. Zuko let the reins go, knowing that Appa knew the way home. He looked back to see Suki and Aang sitting next to one another toward the back of the saddle, Ozlon looking over the end of the saddle. Zuko saw laid before him the ever expanding Republic City. It had only been a few months since he had last seen it, but he was taken aback by how much it had already grown.

Aang looked at Zuko, then at Suki who was next to him. "How is the baby bending going?" He asked her quietly enough so that Ozlon was not to hear.

She just looked at him and smiled a little, "Its going."

He frowned a little bit, "Is there anything we can do to help?" He asked her.

She motioned up toward her husband. "Can you just talk to him? He won't talk to me about it."

Aang just nodded, "With please m'dear."

Appa flew closer to Air Temple Island. Zuko saw Katata, Kya, Bumi and Tenzin below on the ground near the stables. The kids had little red flags in their hands, directing where to land the bison. Zuko smiled at seeing the children waving their flags around frantically. Ozlon smiled at them as he hung over the edge of the saddle.

"Cool flags!" He called out to them happily.

"We have some for you!" Kya yelled up to him, a grin on her face.

"Ozlon be careful!" Suki called out to him. He leaped over the edge of the Saddle when Appa was a few feet off the ground, landing on his feet below them. Suki groaned softly once he leapt, knowing that he was only going to get more rambunctious as he got older from here out.

Appa landed on the ground and Suki jumped down turning to Katara. "Its so good to see you." She told her happily. Katara had a child a little over a year old on her hip, smiling at Suki. Suki hugged Kara around her neck happily. "Is this Lin?" She asked as Katara nodded, reaching out and taking the black hair, green eyed girl. Lin looked at Suki with her large eyes as she held her. "She has gotten so big. And pretty too." She said, holding the child, poking her nose gently.

Meanwhile Zuko stood up on the saddle and turned around to face his friend. Aang picked one of the large suitcases up and threw it at Zuko, who then threw it down to the ground only a few feet away. The second bag was a little more heavily and when Aang threw it at Zuko he threw it at a weird angle. He managed to catch the back but he stumbled back a little bit. Zuko narrowed his eyes at him, making Aang smile.

Katara looked at Zuko standing up on the saddle and smiled up at him, "You know if i did not know any better I would think that you were getting handsome." She told him with a smile.

He laughed and hopped down from Appa, "Good thing you know better then." He told her. She laughed and hugged him. He hugged her back, lifting her off her feet. "Its good to see you." He told her as he sat her down. As soon as she was set down the kids came over to him with smiles on their faces.

"Hi Zuko." Bumi said to him, his eyes wide. Kya, Tenzin and Ozlon both looked at Zuko with the same expression on their face.

"Hi... kids." He said slowly, feeling weird that they were all looking at him with semi-terrifying faces.

"Can you..." Kya said, not finishing his sentence.

He just rolled his eyes and walked off from the group to the edge if a clearing. He looked back at them and held his hands out, showing them both sides of them as if he was about to do a magic trick. He put his hands below his belt as he got his footing right. In one swift in powerful movement he swung his arms with him as he spun his body around twice. He thrusted his open palms into the air in an upward movement at the end of the move. Form his hands came a bright white light that flew into the air. He stood up from his position and watched the white light ascend, everyone else doing the same thing. Zuko lifted his hand up in a position that they could all see it. As soon as the light was high enough he snapped his extended fingers once. As soon as his ring fingers made contact with the palm of his hand the light exploded; it shattering into thousands of fractions of light in all colors.

The kids watched the light and their eyes shot open with joy. They jumped happily waving their little flags around. Zuko looked back at them all, a smile covering his face as he watched their happy reactions. Aang, Katara and Suki were smiling as well, watching the bits of fire dissipate into the air.

"Why can't you do that?" Kya asked her father with her large blue eyes.

"Well... if I did it then it would not be as special when Zuko came over." Aang told her.

"And we would not want that." Zuko said as he walked back over to them. The kids ran to him, Bumi and Kay hugging each of his legs as they looked up at him. He just laughed softly at them, "I'm glad to see you guys too." He told them, patting their heads.

"Come on kids, lets let Daddy and Zuko get on their way. They have a council meeting to get to." Katara told them. She kissed Aang on the cheek and started to walk back to the house, the kids following.

Zuko looked at the tiny Lin in his wife's arms, touching her cheek with the side of his finger. Lin giggled softly and turned her face toward Suki, hiding it. He just laughed then kissed Suki on the lips. "We won't be gone long." He told her.

She nodded and smiled at him, "I'll miss you." She told him as she kissed him again quickly, then walking away toward the house.

Aang was on the head of the saddle, watching them with a smile on his face. Zuko looked up at him with a confused look. "What?" He asked.

Aang just shrugged, "Nothing. Its just good to see the two of you."

Zuko smiled, "Its good to see you too." He said to himself as he climbed onto Appa, the bison lifting off.


	11. Plans for the Future

_The first of three new Chapters. Enjoy. :) _

**4 Years after the end of the 100 Year War**

"A Kyoshi Warrior must be an unmarried, childless female over the age of 13. A member may stay a member as long as they remain unmarried and childless. Should a member wish to marry she must resign from the organization no less than six months before her wedding date. If a member finds herself with child, she must resign from the organization no more than one week after her pregnancy is discovered. Either of these actions will earn a member an honorable resignation. Should a member not resign six months before her wedding or one week after she is found to be with child, and her actions are discovered, she will be ejected from the organization and earn a dishonorable resignation." Suki finished reading the text on the paper in her hand, doling it up and putting it on the sofa table. She was sitting on the sofa with her legs running the length of it. Zuko sat on the sofa with his legs hanging over the edge, Suki's bent knees on his lap. He rubbed her soft strong legs and looked at her knees, thinking.

"So... if I understand this right, you can be a Kyoshi Warrior as long as you don't have a baby, or get married. You can do either of those things and resign and its ok. If you do those things and don't resign, you get black listed. Right?" He asked, looking at her.

She nodded, "From what I understand." She loved being casual with him like this. She longed for this time with him at the end of the day in his private apartment; formalities aside, make up off, barefoot in simple non ceremonial clothing.

"I think thats fair." He said shrugging and nodding at the same time.

She nodded in agreement, "As do I. It just kinda makes things complicated for us."

"Complicated?"

She nodded, "Yeah. You see since the end of the war the Kyoshi Warriors have expanded in numbers like crazy. We have so many new members we can't keep up with what we have. Myself, being the senior member of the organization is going to be critical in this change. The Kyoshi Warriors need me."

"I know they do." He told her, rubbing her feet gently. "They need you to help with the great work they are doing."

"I know; but it means that we cannot get married." She told him, the worried 'married' falling out of her mouth quickly. This was the first time that they had talked about marriage. It was more or less an unspoken thought and feeling between them but it had never been spoken about. At this point in time it was no secrete to those in the public and in the palace that the Fire Lord and the Kyoshi Warrior were quite taken with one another. They would always take meals and tea together, as well as her helping him with any tasks that he needed assistance or advice with. Some had reported seeing them kissing in the halls of the palace, but they always tried to be careful with that.

He looked at her like she was crazy, one of his eye brows raising "So we wait."

She blinked, looking at him surprised, "What?"

"We just wait. You have to do what you need to with the warriors first then we can do our thing."

"You would do that?" She asked, still kinda surprised.

He looked at her more confused, "What, let you live your life?" He asked. "Yeah I want you to fulfill your life's work before we get married and have children." She smiled at him and sighed in relief. He looked at her, not sure of what was really going on. "Wait... Were you just trying to break up with me?"

Suki just laughed, shaking her head. "No. Not at all. I was just worried that you were going to want to get married sooner than I did." She told him.

He shook his head, "Not at all. I mean I'm not going any place, neither are you. Right?"

She just nodded, sitting up and sitting on his lap facing him. "I'm not going any place." She told him, rubbing his arms and shoulders. "Not without you any ways." He just nodded and leaned in, kissing her gently as he held her around the waist. She sighed happily into the kiss, feeling his warm skin on hers. She pulled away and held his cheeks biting her lips and looking his face over.

"You are so beautiful." He told her in a soft voice.

She blushed softly, running her fingers over the roughness of his scar. "I love you so much." She told him as she leaned in for a kiss again.

They kissed one another with more passion, both gasping a little bit. He held her around her waist tighter, pulling her closer to him as he groaned lightly. She felt both of their bodies heating up as they embraced one another. She ran her fingers though his black hair, pulling on it roughly as she got more excited.

They both pulled away at the same time, looking at one another and blushing heavily. "You know..." he said to her as he pressed his forehead to hers "One of these days we won't be able to stop."

Suki nodded, holding his cheek. "Your right. Are you still sure we should wait till we are married?" She asked him, looking into his eyes.

"Yeah, but I don't want to." He said laughing a little bit.

She nodded as she sat up, holding his cheek as she did so. He kissed the palm of her hand happily, holding it with both of his hands. "I will see you tomorrow?" She asked him.

He nodded, standing up with her. "I would like to walk you to your room." He told her.

She nodded and took his hand, "I would like that."

They left the apartment hand in hand and walked down the hall way. They walked closely together, their arms intertwined. "What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked her.

"You know the usual; guarding the palace, making sure that no one tries to kill you." She smiled at him.

He nodded "You always do a really good job at that." He said as he grinned a little bit.

"I do what I can." She laughed a little bit, squeezing a his hand a little bit. "What about you?"

"Just some meetings, always with the meetings." he said with a sigh.

She nodded and kissed his cheek, "How about we have lunch together?" She asked him.

He nodded, "That would be enjoyable."

She smiled as they got to Kyoshi dormitories, "Till then?" She asked.

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her quickly. "Till then." He stroked her cheek happily as she turned around, going into the dormitory.

He ran his fingers though his hair as he walked back to his apartment. He just smiled at himself licking his bottom lip, still tasting her on his lips.


	12. Wedding Day Jitters

**10 years after the end of the 100 Year War**

Zuko and Suki kissed one another happily as their friends and family clapped around them. Aang looked on with a smiled spread across his face. He realized that he had never, in 22 years, seen his fire bending friend smile so much. He looked over at Katara who was clapping, looking on with a smile on her face and tears of happiness in her eyes.

"Weddings will do that to people." Uncle Iroh said to Aang, noting Katara's reaction.

Aang nodded, smiling at him. "I was just noticing at how happy he looks." He said as he motioned to Zuko.

Iroh nodded, tears in his eyes as well. "I'm so proud of him." He said in a soft voice and a broad smile.

Aang smiled at him and patted his back in agreement.

The wedding had been the biggest event that the city had seen since Zuko's coronation. People came from all over the world to celebrate their union, making the event standing room only. A holiday had been declared in both the Capital City and the new Republic City to mark to occasion. Suki's dress had been one that she had designed herself. It was a formalized and feminized version of the Kyoshi uniform that was mostly green, with red accents in it. The wedding had been a one filled with tradition and ended with the coronation of Suki. Zuko was the one who placed the royal head piece on her top knot, watching with great joy as she held the biggest smile he had ever seen on her. "It is my great honer, and profound joy, to proclaim you Fire Lady Suki." He had told her with a smile equally as large as her's on his face. He helped her up, and announced her to the Crowed, to which they all cheered for her.

The formal dinner that followed was more for the diplomats than anything else. After they were done with the meal most of the guests left, leaving the new couple and their closest friends to celebrate in their own way. There were stories and jokes about everyone in the room, especially the couple. Sokka gave a partially humorous toast that ended in him giving both Suki and Zuko a kiss on their cheeks. Zuko cringed and pulled away from him as he did so; making everyone, especially Suki, laugh.

As the evening wound to a close Zuko and Suki danced alone in a section of the empty formal ball room, holding one another close as they kissed each other tenderly. He held her around the wait, as he looked at her beautiful face. "I don't think I've had a better day in my entire life." He told her smiling a little bit.

She held his cheek and nodded, "I agree." She told him. "The amazing thing is is that this is just the beginning." She laughed a little bit as she looked into his eyes.

He nodded, "Now things get real."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head, "No my darling, it has been real since day one." She told him with a soft and loving voice. They leaned in and kissed one another slowly and tenderly, savoring one another's lips.

There was a clinking sound from behind them. They broke the kiss and looked in the direction it have come from. Iroh was standing a little ways off from them, clicking a knife against the tea cup in his hand. They both smiled at him, Suki laughing a little bit.

"You know, I've not gotten to dance with the bride today." Ihro told them.

"By all means." Zuko said, pulling away from her and bowing at him and an arm out stretched to her.

Ihro gave his mug and knife to Zuko, taking Suki into his arms. "You looked so beautiful today, my dear." He told her. Zuko stood off to the side, putting the mug and knife down on an empty table.

She smiled at Ihro as they danced with one another, "You looked happy as well" She told him.

"I just never thought that he would actually do it." He told her. "I figured that he would never take the leap."

Suki just smiled laughed. "I knew he would, just took time." She told him.

He nodded, "Its no matter, I'm just happy that your both happy."

She nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "And we are."

"You know..." He started speaking to her in a whisper, "Its a tradition in our family for royal court to escort the new couple to the bed chamber." He told her.

"That will not be necessary." Zuko told him firmly with a smile.

Ihro just laughed a little bit, "It's a dated tradition anyways." he said, shrugging.

She just laughed a little bit, "I think we can find our way their on our own." She told him, winking.

* * *

Zuko and Suki eagerly made their way up to the apartment laughing and pulling at one another's clothing. They had taken off their formal clothing after the formal dinner and put on simpler, yet still dressy clothing. They got to the apartment and closed the door behind them, leaving them in the dark room.

Suki's hands went to Zuko's belt as soon as she possibly could, wanting to rip away the fabric that was separating her from her love. He laughed at her removing the headpiece from her hair and throwing it on the sofa near them. Suki's hands froze, her ears perking up as she realized that they were not alone in the room.

Zuko read the look on her face, then felt it too. He spinned around quickly and blasted fire with his clenched fist in the direction that he knew the intruder was. The fire blast was diverted and dissolved.

"Zuko its me!" The figure told him assertively as she held her hands out. Both Suki and Zuko looked at her with stunned faces.

"Azula!" Suki told her with an angry voice. No one had seen Zuko's little sister in 6 years. When Ursa had left to come to live with Zuko in the palace Azula had refused to come. She instead had opted to travel on her own. No one had head from her since then. "Why are you here!?" Suki asked her with an aggravated voice.

"I..." Azula said.

"She is right, why are you here?" Zuko asked in an equally aggressive voice. Suki ran toward Azula, her fists clenched. Zuko grabbed her around the waist, holding her back. Suki had moved past a lot of pain and anger when it came to Zuko and his family. One person that she could not, and would never forgive was Azula.

"I need help." Azula said in a soft voice. Zuko looked her over, feeling that she was off. It was not like she was that day 10 years ago when he and Katara fought her; this time she looked tired, she looked sick. Her face was pale and shallow, her eyes tired looking with dark circles around them. She was thin and with her hair pulled back it was obvious that some of it was missing.

"Whats wrong?" He asked, pulling Suki back behind him so that he was standing in-between them.

Azula looked at him with tears in her sunken eyes, holding her hands on her chest like she was praying. "I'm in trouble." she told him her voice shaking.

Zuko felt a sudden urge of sadness looking at his sister like this. "What can we do to help?" He asked her.

Suki grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back to her. "No..." She told him with a soft voice. She was scared of Azula, not for herself, but for her husband.

"I need you to do something for me." She told them, "Both of you."

"What is it?" Suki asked. It was at that moment that she noticed a papoose sitting by ware Azula was standing. She looked at it, a feeling of horror spreading over her.

Azula turned to the basket and pulled out a bundle of blankets. It was clear what she had in her hands; making both Suki and Zuko's heart stop. "His name is Ozlon, he is my son." She told them both in a meek voice. "He is a good boy. He sleeps though the night every time, he eats well and almost never cries. Will be six months old next week and He is a fire bender. He sneezes and belched it just like we did at that age." She looked down at the child in her arms, patting his back.

"Whats going on?" Zuko asked her, looking at the child.

"I'm in danger." She told them, her voice shaking. "I can't keep him or else he will be too." She was crying as she held the baby close. "I don't want anything to happen to him. He is a good boy that should be safe, despite my sins, and I cannot keep him." The baby was awake and wined a little bit feeling his mother becoming frantic.

Suki walked to her, petting the child's head that was covered in fine dark hair. Suki took the baby into her arms, holding him close to her. The baby fussed a little bit, but then calmed as Suki shushed him comfortingly.

Azula looked at the baby with sadness, then looked back to Zuko. "I know that I am... a failure, and I know that I am the last person that you ever wanted to see, especially on this night; but I did not know what else to do." She was looking as Zuko with a fair amount of desperation in her voice and eyes.

He just looked her over then looking over Suki with the child. Suki was holding the boy with her mouth pressed to his head. "Please let us help you, Azula." He told his sister with sincerity in her voice.

"You have to do this for me." She told him, speaking to both of them.

"Azula..." he said with a sigh.

"PLEASE!" She said, running to him and kneeling before him, grabbing onto his robes as she sobbed into them. "Do it for him, not for me. You can hate me and thats totally fine but please don't let him suffer for it. I-I... I just want him to be safe and the only way he is safe is alway from me. I don't want to leave him with anyone else." He frowned heavily and leaned down to her level, taking her into his arms and holding her tight. She held him tight, sobbing onto his shoulder. Zuko held patted the back of her head, looking over as Suki.

Suki had tears in her eyes as well as she held the child close. She bit her lip and just nodded, lifting up the baby a little bit on her boy.

Zuko pulled alway from Azula, putting his hands on her shoulders. "We will do it." he told her.

She nodded, catching her breath in-between sobs. "Thank you..." She told them both. "I can't give you money, or anything."

"You don't need to worry about that." He told her. "We will take care of him like he was our own."

She just nodded, looking at him, "Thank you so much." She said, her voice shaking.

He stood up, helping her up. "We would still like to help you." he told her.

Azula just shook her head, "I'm beyond help." She told him. "Just please help him."

Zuko nodded, "We will."

Azula walked over to Suki and Ozlon. She looked at the baby, touching him ever so gently. She placed one hand on his head, kissing it as tears were running down her cheek and falling onto the baby's soft scalp. "You be good for your Aunt and Uncle." She told the child with a soothing voice. "I love you so much." She told him.

The baby cooed a little bit and looked back at his mother. Azula stroked his cheek gently, smiling at him though her teared up face.

Azula looked at Suki, "You looked very pretty today, and I know you're going to make a good Fire Lady." She told her in the same soft voice that she had used when talking to the baby. Suki nodded as Azula, mouthing a thank you to her. Azula kissed the child's head again, lingering on his skin. She pulled away looking at him as he turned his face back to Suki, smiling at her a little bit. Azula turned back to her brother, "I will make this up to you." She told him. Zuko wrapped his arms around his sister's thin frame, holding her for a moment before letting her go.

He just nodded and placed his hand on the side of her ashy face, "If you need anything from us, please come back. We will help in any way we can." He told her. She nodded and hugged him again, letting go and kissing the baby on his head one last time.

"I have to go." She told them.

"Come down with us." he told her, "Mother will want to see you."

Azula shook her head, "I have to go." She motioned to the window.

"Take care." Suki told her as she held the boy.

Azula just nodded and walked to the window, looking back at the baby before she jumped out the window, climbing down.

Zuko looked at Suki and the baby, sighing a little bit. "Are you ok with this?" he asked her.

Suki just nodded, looking at the baby. "Yeah." She said with a soft voice.

"We should take him downstairs." He told her, kissing her on the forehead.

She just nodded, "I think they will be surprised. it normally takes more than a half hour to make a baby." She laughed with a soft laugh.

Zuko nodded and held Suki's cheek as he kissed the top of Ozlon's head.


	13. A Meeting and a Feeling

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War**

"I just don't think that we should take these polices so lightly." Aang was urging the council. "They were put in place to improve the lives of the people in this city and should be of the upmost importance."

"I agree with Avatar Aang, this is not something that we can just ignore until it improves." A male council member from the Air Nation said in agreement.

Zuko looked around the room silently. He sat in his assigned chair, his elbows on the arm rests, his fingers interlocked and resting on his lips.

"It is the belief of the earth king and myself that the best way to resolve the homeless issue is to take programs away from these peoples. Once they know that they will no longer have an out they will improve their lives." The female Earth Kingdom representative said.

"We see it differently in the South Pole." Sokka, who was the head of the council, said. "We have known the pain of having nothing and believe that we have to help these people."

"Why should we have to sponsor such an expensive resolution? This will cost each kingdom a lot of money and we at the northern water tribe just don't feel that we should be required to pay that." The elderly male representative from the northern water tribe said with much conviction.

"Its not just as simple as paying money, we have to be committed to these policies and to the cause in order for it to get better." The young man who was the representative from the fire nation said.

"Why should we be commit to something that is none of our business?" The Earth Kingdom woman said.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Zuko spoke up in a loud voice, finally breaking his silence. They all looked at him silently. He did not speak that often while in council meetings, but when he did he commanded respect from everyone in the room. He sat up in his chair, looking around the half circle council table. His and Aang's chair was placed in the open area of the circle. They were not part of the council, but instead were respect leaders and honored visitors who were both listened to. "There is not one person in this room who's life has not drastically improved since the end of the war. We are so much better off and we have a moral responsibility and obligation to help the ones who are not as lucky as we are." Aang smiled a little bit at hearing Zuko speak, he always had such a way with words and a way to rally people to his cause. It was one of the things that he envied about him.

"Morality is going to depend on one's own ideals, your majesty." The Northern water tribe representative said.

"I'm not talking about ideals or perceptions on what is right and wrong; I'm talking about the obligations that we have towards our fellow citizens and human beings." Zuko said, clarifying his point.

The earth kingdom representative's face flushed over. She spoke to the Fire Lord in a voice that was angry and clear, "Just like your family had the obligation to-"

"Before you finish that sentence..." Sokka said to her in a booming voice, looking at her with fierily blue eyes. "Please do not forget who has given more of himself for the sake of peace and resolution since the end of the war. His loyalty and moral stance is not the issue here and I will not let you question it." The earth kingdom representative said nothing, looking down at her paper work. "I agree with the Fire Lord and Avatar Aang, full heartily." Sokka went on to say. "Further more I believe that we need to make this an absolute priority." Everyone, including Aang and Zuko watched Sokka as he stood, taking his gavel into his hand. "I will adjourn this meeting until tomorrow. I advise that you all think about your position on this topic." He banged the gavel, adjourning the meeting.

* * *

Zuko splashed water from Sokka's office bathroom sink onto his face, letting it cool him. He sighed a little bit as he looked at himself in the mirror. He turned his face so that he could see his scar easier, reaching out and touching it with his wet finger tips. If he thought about it hard enough he could still feel the searing pain that had been associated with its application. It was a pain that he knew he would never shake.

"You look old." Sokka said from the door way.

Zuko looked up at him. "You know that your a month older than I am, right?" Zuko asked him, standing up and grabbing a towel to dry his face off.

"Yeah but I've managed to maintain my good looks. I think its the beard." He said, stroking his goatee.

"Thats why you got the girl, right?" Zuko asked him, smirking a little bit.

Sokka narrowed his eyes at him but smiled, "Something like that."

Zuko hung the towel back up, "Thank you for that." He told Sokka, referring to the incident in the meeting.

Sokka just nodded with a smile on his face, "It was nothing. I was just standing up for what I knew was right." He motioned into his office, "Come on, I have tea and jerky." He said, walking into his room.

Zuko followed him as Sokka sat down next to Aang on a lush sofa. "I think that we should re-look at this public transit system." Aang said, looking over some plans.

Zuko sat on the chair near them, grabbing a cup of tea. "I agree. There has to be a way to simplify it."

Sokka took a bite of Jerky, eating it happily. "I think that its fine." He said in between bites "You two don't live in the city like I do, this plan may not be what is most efficient, but it is what is best for the city."

"Then we have to find a plan that is both efficient and good for the city." Zuko said to him. "We should not have to compromise on this."

Aang nodded in agreement as he put the papers on the table next to him as he rubbed his eyes. "This is only a first draft, we have time." He said to just as much himself as to the two of them.

Sokka turned to Zuko, smiling at him. "So whats new?" He asked his friend. "Are you pregnant yet?" he asked with a grin.

Zuko just rolled his eyes, "Not yet, and quit asking."

"Its ok Zuko. If you need to I can help you guys out. Give you a few tips. I know what Suki likes after all." Sokka said with a grin.

Both Zuko and Aang looked at him; Aang with an odd look on his face, Zuko narrowing his eyes. "You know Sokka, just when I don't think I can feel worse about it you somehow manage to prove me wrong." Zuko told him as he took a sip of his tea.

* * *

Suki sat up from the bed clenching her eyes tight and forcing the tears to the edge of them. She stood up and adjusted her robe back into place as Katara washed her hands in a small basin with her water bending.

"Well?" Suki asked her.

"I don't feel anything out of place." Katara told her with a frown. "As far as I can tell everything is fine." She told her.

Suki nodded, sitting down on the bed. "Is there anything that I can try?" She asked.

Katara sat down with her on the bed, taking her hand into her own. "Nothing that I know of. You seem to be able. Your flow is regular, right?" She asked Suki.

Suki nodded, "Very much so. Every month since I was twelve." She told her.

Katara nodded, looking at her friend's sad face. "Do you think that he would get checked out?"

Suki looked at her and laughed a little bit, "Zuko have you touch him down there? Not at all." She said with a smile.

"Well not me." Katara told her with a chuckle. "The healer that I learned from up in the Northern Water Tribe is also a specialist with male reproduction issues."

Suki thought about it, "I can try and talk to him about it." She told her with an uncertain voice.

"But you don't think he will go for it."

Suki shook her head, "He dose not even want to act like there is an issue." She told her friend with a sigh. "To him he just thinks that if we try hard enough it will one day just happen."

"And it may yet, Suki." Katara told her, rubbing her back gently. "Some people it just takes time with. It took us two years before we had Kya."

Suki just nodded, frowning. "I feel like he... like he..."

"Doesn't want it?" Katara asked.

Suki shook her head, "Its not that. Its that... it feels like he knows its not going to work." Suki said with tears in her eyes. "And he just wants to blindly try and hope for the best but knows its never going to come." She was crying harder, tears falling down her cheeks. Katra held her friend with one arm around her shoulder as she held her hand tight. "I don't know what to do." Suki told her, holding her eyes as she sobbed.

Katara just held her she she cried, trying to comfort her friend in any way she could.


	14. Nightmares

**14 years after the end of the 100 Year War**

Zuko woke up to the feeling of Suki running her finger tips over his face and forehead tenderly. His eyes opened and he looked at her with a soft smile.

"Hi." She told him, leaning down in front of the chaise lounge that he was sleeping on.

"Hey." He said as he looked down at Ozlon who was draped across him sound asleep, one of his hands trapped under the boy's shoulders. "Finally." He said under his breath.

She kissed the four year old boy on his head, smiling a little bit. "I'm afraid to wake him."

He just nodded and agreement, leaning his head back on the back of the lounge. "I can't keep doing this." He said with a sigh as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

"I told you that I can sit with him at night." She told him.

He just shook his head, "No its fine." He told her.

"Your exhausted from sitting up with him. You can't keep doing it." She told him. She petted Zuko comfortingly on his arm. Ozlon had been a good baby, just like Azula had promised when she brought him to them. In the past few months though he had been suffering from violent and frequent nightmares. They were so bad that he never slept though the night anymore, afraid that his nightmares would return. This resulted in him only sleeping during the day and not wanting to be alone during the night.

"I don't want you to be low on energy." He told her.

She just laughed a little bit, "You are the one who has responsibilities during the day, not me." She said on the edge of the lounge with him as she placed a hand on his chest.

"You have responsibilities too you know." He said to her. She was working with the Dojo on a frequent basis and spent a lot of time there. The real reason that he wanted her rest is because he wanted to make sure that she was well rested in the case of pregnancy. He had read sometimes that an exhausted female may lead to issues with conception and did not what that to hold them back.

"But I'm not you." She told him with sad eyes. "You need your rest." She assured him. Zuko closed his eyes and thought about it. He had not slept in his own bed at night for almost two weeks, getting as little as an hour each night from various places around the palace. "Ursa said she could watch him at night." She added.

"I don't wanna have to have her do that either." He said firmly.

"You always wanna do these things on your own." She told him with a sign, "Even when you know that you need help."

He just shrugged and grinned at her as he opened his eyes a little bit. "You knew it was gonna be like that before you married me."

She just laughed and leaned up, kissing him. "That is true."

He smiled into the kiss sleepily.

"Gross." said a small voice from Zuko's lap. The looked to see Ozlon looking at them with a frown.

She just laughed and patted Ozlon's back, "Have another one?" He asked him.

Ozlon nodded slowly, looking scared.

Suki stood up and leaned down, grabbing Ozlon and picking him up slowly. He held onto her around her neck as she wrapped arms legs around his waist. "Come on, lets put you in bed." She told Ozlon, "Were gonna let your Uncle get some sleep." He just nodded as he held her, putting his head on her shoulder. She looked down at Zuko who had already closed his eyes, going back to sleep.

She smiled down at him, leaving the room with Ozlon in her arms. She went to Ozlon's room that was in the same room that his mother had had when she had lived here. She laid him down on the bed, making him rub his eyes and groan sleepily. She laid down on the bed next to him, pulling his back close to her as she hummed to him softly.

"Tired?" She asked. He nodded as he squirmed closer to her. "I'm here now, so I won't let anything get to you." She told him with a smile as she wrapped her one arm around him.

He just nodded, "Its not me." He told her with a sot voice.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"The dreams never hurt me; they hurt you and uncle Zuko." He told her.

She frowned kissed the back of his head, rubbing his belly. "I know its scary sweetie, but we are safe. Nothing will happen to us." She told him.

"It may." He told her, holding onto her arm that was draped a crossed him.

"You know; your Uncle and I saved the world once." She told him, trying to comfort him.

"Really?" He asked.

She nodded. "We did. It was long before you were born. Your uncle and Katara fought for control of the Fire nation, and I helped some other friends of ours bring down an entire fleet of air ships."

"You did that Aunt Suki?" He asked with a smile.

She nodded, "I sure did." She told him with a smile, thinking about that day so long ago.

"So you were a hero?" He asked.

She nodded, "I was; so was your uncle."

"He was?" he asked kinda surprised.

Suki nodded, looking off wish a soft smile. "He was a hero long before that though. He has been my hero for a very very long time."

"How did you first meet him?" He asked.

Suki laughed a little bit, "I think your a little young to hear that story."

"Why?" He asked, confused.

"Well it kinda paints a bad picture of him. It was a hard part in his life and I know he doesn't like to think about it, so neither do I." She said. Ozlon just nodded with his eyes closed, not really understanding what she was talking about. "You will hear the story one day." She told him with a kiss to his head. "So please don't worry about us. We are safe." She told him. He just nodded again, intertwining his little hand with hers. "Believe me?" She asked.

He nodded, "I do." He told her yawning.

She smiled at him as she pressed her cheek to his head, "I love you Ozlon."

"I love you too..." He said with a slow voice.

Ozlon drifted off to sleep in Suki's arms. It was the first night in months that he had not been awoken by nightmares of a burning village, his uncle smiling as his aunt cried.


	15. The Broken Down Shack

**17 Months after the end of the 100 Year War **

Suki stepped off the War Ballon and onto the soft dirt of Yu Dao, the bottom of her Kyoshi uniform brushing the ground. She looked at the house that Aang and Katata were staying at and sighed lightly. She was nervous about what was about to happen.

She walked into the hall of the house, seeing the couple and Sokka sitting there talking. Aang was the first to see her, smiling widely. "Suki!" He cried out happily.

Sokka perked his ears up, turning to her. "SUKI!" In one fluid moment he ran to her, picking her up and kissing her on the cheek.

She just laughed and hugged him happily. They had not seen one another in 5 months. He had not written to her, had not even know that she was in the fire nation till she had come to help Zuko at the battle of Yu Dao. It hurt her to an extent that he seemed to not be interested in her happenings since the end of the war. Zuko on the other hand was always asking about her and how she was doing. Even if it was awkward small talk he still always made a point to ask. It was something that she loved about being with him in the palace.

"Sokka, I need to talk to you." Suki told him.

He just nodded, grabbing her hand. "Me too! Come on." He lead her to the large balcony of the house in the city. There was a small two story house behind the large house that looked like it was falling apart. "What do you think?" He asked.

"I think that you should tear it down." She said laughing.

He frowned, "Its my house!"

She snapped her head to him, "Oh... I'm sorry."

He looked out at it. "I know its not much now, but I will re do it, add a room or two on to it." He looked out at it proudly. "Wanna see it?" He asked. She nodded and he took her down to it. There had been some work done on the shack, making it a little more inhabitable, but it still needed much work. "I figure that this will be the bedroom." He said, walking to the smaller room. "And then we can add a baby room here off to the side."

Suki's eyes widened as she heard the words "we" and "baby" so close together. "It... could work." She said, shrugging.

He just smiled at him, "As soon as we get it done you can leave Capital City and come here, staying with us." He told her. "It will be so much better for us to be together."

"Sokka..." She said to him sighing softly.

"Wait, you've not even seen the best part." He grabbed her hand and lead her out back of the shack to a small yard that was covered in soft green grass. "Can't you just image some kids playing back here?"

"Sokka..." She said again.

"I mean not right now, but in the next few years." He ran out into the yard.

"Sokka..."

"I think it will be great!"

"SOKKA!" She said, finally getting his attention.

He looked back at her, "I know its not much right now... but it will get better." He told her as he walked over to her, smiling at her. "It will get better once we are together again."

She reached out and held his cheek with her gloved hand. He was a good man, and she knew that. But looking at him now, and seeing this plan of his made her choice even more clear. "I think we should break up."

She could see his heart breaking in his blue eyes. It hurt her as well, seeing the pain in his eyes like that. "What?" He asked in a soft and sad voice.

"I..." She sighed a little bit. "I don't want this." She said, looking around at the shack.

"I know that its not much now, just give it time..."

"Its not the house, its us..." She sighed a little bit, holding him by his shoulder. "I am a Worrier and that is my primary focus in my life right now. I had the feeling that we are going in different directions, nut now I know we are."

"Well... we can wait." He told her. "We don't have to get married right now. We could give it a few years."

She shook her head, "Thats not it..."

"Then what is it?" He asked, tears in his eyes. "Its someone else, isn't it?"

"No Sokka, its not someone its something."

"Something?"

She nodded. "I have a chance to be part of something important. I can't have that if I have you." She told him.

"Are you saying that i'm not importnat?" he asked her.

Suki was crying now too, trying to comfort him in any way. She reached out and held his arm. "You just have to trust me." She told him. "This is nothing to do with you. This is my choice and I still think your are an amazing man. Nothing will change that."

He shook his head, pulling away from her. "How can you tell me that?" He asked her.

She frowned a little bit, looking him over. "Don't do this to me. You've not exactly made the choice easy for me. You don't bother writing, you don't care what I'm doing. Is it any surprise that I don't wanna be with you?"

"YES!" He told her. "I just thought that things were fine. I knew that we loved one another and that there was not a lot of up keep needed."

"And thats not the way things work!" she told him. "You have to try, you have to work at a relatioship to make them work. You can't just take a girl's virginity and then expect her to love you unconditionally!"

Sokka just looked at her, frowning. "Is that what you think I'm about?" He asked.

She just nodded, "Thats exactly what I think Sokka."

He looked down, "I did not know that."

"And then your all surprised when I don't wanna become a house wife at the age of 18. I have all this other stuff going on and you just expect me to drop it for you, for this, for this life that you never even asked if I wanted." She continued to talk, even though tears were running down her cheeks. "I have this chance to be part of something so much bigger than myself and I have to take that."

"I thought that we were bigger than our selves." He told her with a sad voice.

She frowned and held his cheek softly. "I'm so sorry Sokka." She told him. He just nodded, tears in his eyes. "I know that you will find someone amazing for you in your life." She took a deep breath, "But I'm not that person."

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, patting his chest softly. "I love you Sokka... and I'm so sorry." She left the small house, walking back to her war balloon.

Sokka walked back to the main house, walking in on Aang and Katara kissing. He looked at them sadly. "Whats wrong?" Aang asked him.

"Suki left me." He told them.

They both looked at him surprised, "Why?" She asked.

"I think she is in love with Zuko." he said with a frown. Both Aang and Katara looked at him, their mouths slightly agape. "I mean, she did not say that but I think thats what's going on. She said that she wanted to be part of something bigger than herself... He would certainly be that."

Katara frowned heavily, "I'm so sorry Sokka."

Aang nodded in agreement, "That sucks."

Sokka flopped down onto the pillows on the ground, leaning his head back and frowning.

Suki took off in the balloon, looking out at the ocean. She thought that the ocean looked like Sokka's eyes. She saw the sun in the sky and thought of Zuko. She closed her eyes and took in the duality of the situation.

Sokka was the ocean, cooling her and making her feel good when she was with him. Then there was Zuko who was the son, providing her with life sustaining warmth and comfort from anyplace that she was.


	16. Honest Converstation

_I feel like I'm all scattered, skipping around so much. I just have SO many super cute ideas that need to be told and this is the best way I know to do so. All the the mini stories fit together, so there is that I guess. I don't know how much longer its going to go, honestly. I figure I have about 5 more chapters of them 22 years later, then ones to fill between them._

_Either the chapter after this, or the one after that is going to be a smut chapter. May be posted later today, depending if I get it done or not. _

_Again thank you all for reading and please review! :)_

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

Aang and Zuko flopped down on the soft grass, panting after one of their friendly spars. "You know..." Zuko told him with a soft smile, "You are getting to be a better fire bender than me."

Aang laughed, interlocking his fingers behind his head. "Your still the best, Sifu Hotman." He told his friend. Zuko rolled his eyes and groaned, still hating his nick name after all these years. Aang just looked over at him moving his head a little, "So how are you doing? He asked Zuko.

Zuko looked at him out of the corner of his eye, confused. "Fine?"

"Ah..." Aang said, not sure what to ask or say. Zuko wrinkled his eye brows, twisting his mouth in confusion. "I wanted to talk to you about the issues." Aang told him, finally being able to say what he was thinking.

"Issues?" He asked.

Aang nodded, "Yes, the issues that you and Suki are having." Zuko just rolled his eyes, getting up out of the grass. "Listen, I'm just trying to help." Aang told him, sitting up.

"Well don't, ok?" Zuko said looking back at him after brushing some grass off himself.

"Don't do that to me Zuko." Aang told him with a frown. He got up, going over to him. "I can see that this is bothering you and I don't want that." Zuko just looked at him silently, his hands on his hips. "You get bad when you get upset, you get emotional and angry and you shut people out. Which is fine its its just you but its not anymore. You have a wife, you have a nephew, you have an entire nation and world that need you to be at your best, and your not right now and you know it."

Zuko just said nothing, not from ignorance or anger but because he knew that Aang was right,

"Listen... you and Suki are our best friends. We want you to be happy above all else."

"We are happy." Zuko said to himself.

"I know you guys are, which makes it even worse. I have known since day one that you guys were totally in love and totally committed to one another. Which is part of what makes the situation suck."

"It sucks so much." Zuko said, sitting back down in the grass and rubbing his temples.

Aang went and sat down in front of him, looking at his friend. "So let us help you." Aang told him.

"There is nothing that can be helped." he told him, looking away.

"Why do you say that?" Aang told him, "There is always a way."

Zuko just groaned as he held his head. "Please understand that this is not easy for me."

"I understand that." Aang told him, nodding.

"I..." Zuko shook his head. He was not wild about talking to anyone like this, so open and honest. It still freaked him out, even when it was with Suki. He wanted to feel better though, he did not want to drive himself or his wife insane anymore with these horrid feelings that he was having. "I feel like such a failure." He told him.

"Why?" Aang asked with sad eyes.

"Because I love my wife more than anything else on this earth. I want to give her my love in every way possible, along with anything that she would ever want, and I have. I've given her anything that she has asked and I take pride in that, because I take pride in her, I take pride in what we have." He had tears in his eyes, but he laughed a little bit. "And the one thing that she wants more than anything else in her life I can't give her. I can't give her a child, and that makes me a failure."

"Zuko, trouble with conception is not a sigh of failure." Aang told him. Zuko looked away as tears fell onto his cheeks. He felt a little embarrassed to cry in front of Aang like this, but he could not help it. "It's just something that happens."

"Its not that." Zuki said under his breath.

"Then what is it?"

"Its me." Zuko told him with a frown.

"What?"

"It's me. I'm the issue. I can't have children." His voice shook as her spoke, tears flowing freely now.

Aang looked at him, his mouth agape a little. "Wow... thats... wow." He scratched his nose, not sure of what to say. "How do you know?" He asked after a momemnt.

Zuko sighed, "After the war... when Mai and I were together, we just assumed that we were going to be in it long term so we stated sleeping with one another. I figured that there was no harm it. I wanted to marry her."

"And nothing happened."

Zuko nodded, "I thought that we were just lucky. Then we broke up and I was especially glad that nothing happened."

"That is not an absolute sign."

"I did not think that it was back then either. I did not think much about it. But then right around the time that Suki and I started getting serious she got married."

"And had a baby."

"Twin boys 9 months after she was married, and then a girl not even a year later."

Aang shrugged, "Still may not mean anything."

"I tried to tell myself that for a long time. But it sat with me that she was able to get pregnant with him so quickly, but not with me. I just told myself that it would be ok." He took a deep breath. "Suki and I were going to wait till we got married but that really didn't work out and he stated having sex with one another before we got engaged. Again nothing happened. I just wanted to ignore it and act like everything was fine. I figured that it would all work out."

"Cause things always work out exactly right for you." Aang said with a smile.

Zuko just smiled a little bit, "I just thought that if we stayed on corse it would be ok. Then we got married and Ozlon was there. So I though that things would work out, that if we didn't have a kid then we would have him to be there to fill the role. I knew that he was Azula's son but I knew that we were the ones who were raising him it would be ok. Then it turns out that she could take the throne with him there so it threw that plan out the window."

"You could still do it. It may not be you, there may not be an issue at all." Aang said admittedly.

"It's been 16 years Aang, and nothing. Nothing at all. There has to be something wrong. I know its not her, it can't be her. She is perfect and wonderful. I'm the one who is failing; as a husband and as a man."

Aang looked at him frowning, not sure of what to think about what he was just told, "You know, I don't think I've ever heard you talk this much." he said with a smile. Zuko just laughed a little bit, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. "Do you feel better now that you've gotten that off your chest?" Aang asked.

Zuko just nodded, smiling. "I do." He said with a small sigh.

"You should have talked to me about this a long time ago." He told him "Please don't think you can't talk to me." He told him with a smile.

Zuko nodded, "Its just something that is hard to talk about." Zuko said closing his eyes a little bit. "I mean you have these three beautiful amazing children, and on one hand I'm so happy for you, but at the same time It hurts so much that we don't have that."

"It hurts us too." Aang told him. "We see the pain that you both feel and we feel it. Sokka and Toph do too."

"I always thought that she would leave me for him." Zuko said with a little bit of a laugh.

Aang just shook his head, "No. She is committed to you. For some reason." Aang laughed happily. Zuko smiled, leaning his head back and sighed. "You have to tell her." Aang told her.

Zuko nodded, a dreading feeling in his stomach. "I know..."

"How do you think she will react?" Aang asked.

"She will either kill or leave me." He told him, twisting his mouth.

"You think?" He asked.

Zuko nodded, "The last time that I really talked about this she beat me up."

Aang laughed, "I can see her doing that." He stood, offering a hand down to his friend. "Come on, lets go get something to eat." Zuko took the hand and got up quickly. "And don't worry, I won't tell anymore that you cried." Zuko narrowed his eyes at him, frowning. "I don't care, but I know you will." Aang told him with his goofy smile.

Zuki just smiled in return, reaching out and punching Aang in his arm. "Whatever."


	17. First time

_Here we have another Smut filled chapter. It can be skipped or taken in, depending on your outlook on the situation. _

_My next story will an extended version of this one. This is one one night and the rest of the story will be the week in which this takes place. So take it in, enjoy it. _

_Thanks for reading and thanks so much for the reviews! Some of you had some points / questions that WILL be addressed by the time this is all said and done with. _

**6 years after the end of the 100 Year War**

Suki sat on the steps of the Fire Family's Ember Island vacation home. She hugged her knees as she looked out at the setting sun with a soft frown on her face. This week had not gone as she had planned thus far. Her and Zuko had been apart for over a year while she trained with the other Worriers on Kyoshi Island. He asked her to come and spend some time with her here, away from the formalities of the palace that sometimes restricted their time together. Its not that she didn't love being back with him, but she just expected something else.

"Tea?" Zuko offered her as he walked up behind her with a small tray.

She turned around and smiled at him, "Please." She told him with loving eyes.

He sat down next to her on the steps and give her a cup before taking one for himself and setting the tray aside. "We should remember to come here more." He told her as he sipped his tea.

She nodded, "I forgot how pretty it is here." She said to him. He was watching the setting sun, but she was watching him.

"Do you wanna go out tonight?" He asked her, looking over at her.

"Um... Its up to you.." She told him, smiling.

He looked at her and frowned a little bit, "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Of corse." She told him, taking his hand in hers as she looked at him. "Why would I not be?"

"You just seem a little sad... like you don't wanna be here." He told her, a hint of sadness in his voice.

She laughed a little bit, "Why are you being weird?" She asked him. He chucked a little bit as well. "I'm so happy to be here with you."

"Then what is it?" He asked.

She looked into his eyes and reached out, holding his cheek softly, "Its nothing, my darling." She leaned in and kissed him sweetly. He smiled into the kiss as he wrapped his free arm around her waist, He did not believe her but he was too busy savoring the taste of her lips to give it another thought.

* * *

Zuko had kissed Suki good night at her bedroom door, telling her that he would make breakfast again for them in the morning. She stood alone in the room that she had stayed in the first time that she was there. She noticed how different it looked. The first time it had been run down; with some of the curtains being torn, the furniture broken and a soft smell of mildew in the room. The house had since been kept up and the room replaced with nicer furnishings and accents. The entire house had been like that, much nicer.

She ran her hands over her body, feeling that she was nicer as well. She watched herself in the long mirror in the room as she started to take off her clothing. She shs was fully disrobed she looked at herself as she bit her lip.

For a year now she had thought about being back with Zuko, and about all the things that she would do with and to him once she saw him again. She assumed that he was thinking the same thing about her, but her hypothesis had been wrong. He had written so many wonderful and loving things to her in his letters; but nos he acted like he always did with her.

She cupped her breasts into her hands and stood at an angle, looking herself over with a critical eye for things that may have changed in the past year. She thought that there may be something that had changed that no longer made her appealing to him. She saw no difference in her body, save a bit of drooping in her bottom. "My ass got bigger." She said to herself as she narrowed her eyes at her reflection. She reached around and touched it, lifting it up a little bit.

She turned away from her reflection and and held her face that was heating up. She closed her eyes, thinking about Zuko and how much she wanted him. She reached down and pressed her hand over her private area. She gasped a little bit as she felt her self grow hotter under her hand. She bit her lip as she slid a finger inside herself, pressing it against her smooth sensitive spot. Her body shivered a little bit as she laid herself down on the bed grabbing her bare breast and she started to rub herself with her middle finger. This was something that she had done often while she was away, always thinking about him while she did so.

She bent her knees and put her feet on the bed, rubbing herself quicker. She closed her eyes, gasping a little bit as a warming sensation flooded over her. She threw her head to the side as she bit her lip, reaching up and pinching her nipple with her thumb and fore finger. Her body was getting hotter, her face flushing over. She opened her eyes and looked around the room, looking at herself. She pulled her finger out of herself, looking at it. "This is not right." She told herself. She jumped out of bed and reached for her robe. She looked at it then withdrew her hand, walking out of the room naked, her hips swaying as she walked.

* * *

Zuko was walking out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist after taking a bath. He had taken his hair, which hit him below the shoulders now, and twisted it to wring most of the water out. He went into his bedroom and turned on a small oil lamb on a table with his fire bending, going directly to the dresser. He dropped the towel onto the dresser, standing naked in the room for a moment before putting on a pair of plain linen pants for sleeping. He took his towel off the top of the dresser and put it around his head, fluffing his hair dry. He yawned with his eyes closed as he turned around walking towards the bed. When he opened his eyes and looked at his bed he saw something that he would never forget as long as he lived.

Suki was laying on the bed on her side, one arm propping her head up and the other draped across her side, her hand resting on her hips. She was totally naked except for a smile on her face as she looked at the young Fire Lord. He pulled the towel from his head, letting it slip to the floor as he looked at her, his eyes fixed on her. He had never seen her anything close to naked before. He had seen her in body suits while they sparred in the past, but it was nothing like this. It took his breath away to see just how beautiful she was.

She looked at him with her large blue eyes, biting her thick lips. He was speechless as he looked at her, his eyes traveling over every curve and inch of skin that was being presented to him. She waited, wanting him to come to her, wanting him to take her. It became apparent that he was not going to do anything, much to her unamusement.

She knelt up in the bed, standing on her knees and looking at him. She got off the bed slowly, not taking her eyes off him as she walked over to him. She could see his face flushing over as he looked at her, feeling a great sense of relief at his reaction. She walked to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed her open mouth onto slightly agape lips as she closed her eyes.

She was greeted with the typical sensation that came with having her skin against his. She could never tell if it was because he was a fire bender or because she was so passionate about him, but he was always so warm; like fire was burning under his skin. The contact made her body melt with excitement, her feminine parts becoming hot and wet.

Zuko gasped into her lips, feeling her bare chest against his own. He wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling her bare skin under his figure tips. Suki moaned a little bit, his fingers feeling like fire dancing across her flesh. He let her tongue slip into his mouth, pressing his tongue down aggressively as she explored his mouth. He opened his eyes and looked at her. His mind traveled on her body, watching to touch her in the most intimate of places. She moved her hands from his neck, placing them on the belt of his linen pants pulling them down a little bit.

He pulled away from her, he tongue slipping out of his mouth, "Suki..." He told her with a soft voice. "I thought that..." He started to say to her.

"You thought what?" She asked him as she looked into his eyes.

"That we were going to wait." He said, his face flushing over.

She took both his hands from her waist and placed them onto her bare breasts, "I have waited." She told him with a sultry voice.

He leaned in and kissed her again, gasping gently as he clung onto her chest. She just smiled at him happily as she went to remove his pants. He shivered a little bit as she pushed his pants down, her finger tips traveling down his body. She pulled away from the kiss as she reached the bottom of his abdomen.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked her again, looking at her breasts in his hands.

She grabbed his manhood on her hand, stroking it a little bit as his eyes widened in surprise. "Does that answer your question?" She asked him.

"Oh..." He said to her, his face red hot. She smiled as she stroked his shaft leaning in and kissing him again. His body responded to her touch, him become hard in her hand. She smiled at his reaction, licking his lips as she let go of him. "No... don't..." He told her as she slipped out of his hands. He didn't want her to go, he didn't want that feeling to stop.

She just smiled at him, walking backwards towards the bed. "Then come and get me." She told him with a playful smile. It was in this time that Suki got her first look at Zuko's naked body. She had always known that he had a nice physique. That much was apparent in just seeing him without a shirt on, but seeing him naked was something quite different. It made her physically excited to know that she would be able to touch, lick and taste every inch of his strong pale skin. She laid down on the bed on her back as she smiled at him.

He followed her to the bed, climbing on top of her as he looked down at her. She reached up and ran her fingers though his long hair, looking into his golden eyes. "Are you sure?" He asked her again, putting a hand on either side of her waist as he stood on his knees.

"You talk too much." She said in a whisper as she wrapped her arm around him neck, pulling him down to kiss her.

He smiled into the kiss before pulling away and looking down at her. She bent her knees as she spread her legs for him, sitting up on her elbows. He put her feet on the bed behind his hips, her knees hitting him at the waist. She watched him intently with a smile on her face he took himself in his hand as he placed himself in her.

Suki gasped hard, leaning her head back. He bit his lip as if unsure as he pushed himself into her. Suki's laid down on her back as she cried out a little bit. He was much larger than she expected or thought he was; making her insides stretch to make room for him. He put his hands on the bed on either side of her hips as he pushed himself into her.

Suki reached down and wrapped her fingers around his wrists, digging her nails into his flesh. He watched her with great interest as she clenched her eyes shut, a smile on her face. On one hand he felt embarrassed and and awkward in a way he had not in years; on the other hand he felt a heart full of love and passion for this woman that he saw before him. He wanted to do this with her, but did not want to let her down.

She looked at him with half open eyes, "Are you ok?" She asked, whispering to him.

He nodded, "I just... love you" He told her, not really sure on how to fully express what he was feeling.

"Don't be nervous, Zuko." She told him in a soft voice. She sat up and pressed her lips to his gently. She removed her hands from his wrists and wrapped them around his neck. He just moaned into her lips as he pulled himself out of her a little bit. She moaned softly he pressed his forehead to hers, feeling her breath on his face. He pressed himself into her again, putting more force behind his trust this time. "There you go." She told him with a moan, taking one had from his neck and putting it on his back side.

"Is that ok?" He asked her in an unsure whisper.

She laid back down on the bed, looking up at him lovingly. "Yes, I like that." She told him, rubbing his chest. Zuko placed his hands on her waist, holding her in place as he looked her over.

"Alright." He told her with a smile as he looked at her, his face flushed over. He started to move in and out of her, using his knees to both brace himself and move his hips against her. She dug her nails into his chest, rolling her head back in pleasure. She scratched down his stomach will she got to his waist, digging her fingers into him again. He smiled at her as he went in and out of her quicker, with more force in his movement.

Suki rolled on her hips as her hands went to his arms scratching them. She screamed her love's name as she climaxed, her body tightening around him. He looked on silently as Suki shook with pleasure, pressing her chin to her own shoulder. She was panting a little but with a smile on her face with her eyes closed softly. The pressure on him sent him over the edge, making his body seize up with pleasure. He released himself into her, their fluids mixing inside of her.

He laid down on top of her, kissing her on the neck as she wrapped her arms around his back. She let the tips of her fingers dance over his sweat covered back, making them both shiver. "I love you." He finally told her, speaking into her neck.

"I love you too." She told him, running one of her hands though his black hair. He pulled out of her, rolling into the bed next to her. She rolled on her side and held him across his chest, cuddling close to him. He wrapped one of his arms behind her neck, his other arm laying on top of her arm. "I could get used to that." She said in a soft laugh.

He just nodded, his lips curling into a smile. "Me too." She rolled onto her stomach so that she could see him, placing her arm around the one that was going behind her neck. She kissed his shoulder then licked the muscular part of of bicep. He just looked at her with his face still flushed over. With his free hand he reached out and brushed some of her hair out of her face as he looked over her soft features. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed lightly, closing her eyes.

The last time Zuko had been with someone like this was 5 years ago. The experiences with his ex-girlfriend had been one that he approached with great confusion. On one had he had loved her, and loved being with her in the way that he was with Suki in this moment. However there was so much inner emptiness in him during that time that it drained the joy of out what their love making was. One of the reasons that he and Suki had waited so long to take this step was because he was worried about the same thing happening.

It was clear to him now though, as he watched Suki fall asleep on his arm that this was not like that at all. He kissed the top of her head smiling as he felt her soft auburn hair.


	18. Finally

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

Suki was humming gently to herself, a small smile on her face as she danced around her bedroom. She was unpacking from their week long trip to Air Temple Island. She had had so much fun while on the trip; playing with the kids, talking with her old friends, and meditating with the Air Acolytes among other things. She had even been excited to see Sokka and everything during the stay.

Zuko's day was filled with meetings, studying different documents, and visiting sites around the city. He did not mind it, but did not find it partially interesting. He was mostly just happy to be spending time with his friends. Suki stayed on the Island, helping Katata with the kids; including Lin and some of the Orphans that the Acolytes took in. She took great joy in helping with this and other tasks around the Island. She had also loved seeing Ozlon play and be a kid with the other children. He was getting older and could be quite rough from time to time, which made it hard for him to make friends among his school buddies. Kya was the only person around his age that Ozlon had ever meet that could actually put him in his place. He both liked and feared her, making their relationship something special that alway made Suki laugh.

The only bad thing about staying at the Island was the housing situation. The Air Acolytes lived in the tradition of the Air Nomads, meaning that they were separated by sex. Suki and Zuko had not been allowed to stay in the same room together. Kya had allowed Suki to sleep in her room with her. They would tell secrets to one another under the tent that they made until late in the night, making them both extremely happy. Ozlon slept in Bumi's room with him, Tenzin sleeping in Katara and Aang's bed with them. Zuko had stayed in town with Sokka, sleeping in the guest room of Sokka's office that doubled as his apartment.

Because of this Suki and Zuko only saw one another in the evenings when they would go out to the Island or Suki would come into the city. They did not get any alone time, save a few fleeting moments in the hall ways, just enough time for a simple kiss or two. They had not made love since the night before they left for the Island; making her antsy to get some alone time with her husband.

She fished unpacking and went into the bathroom, starting to prepare herself for the fun night that was sure to follow. She took a bath in rich rose water, removed body hair, and applied oil to her skin in hair; making her feel clean and slick as she moved. She sprayed perfume on herself as a last step then looked herself over in the long mirror, running her hands over her soft body with a smile on her face. She giggled softly as she fluffed her hair, giving her reflection a kissing face playfully as she popped her hip to one side.

"Well looks like I'm not needed here." Zuko said from the door way of the bedroom with a gentle laugh, his arms crossed across his chest.

She saw his refection his the mirror, looking at him she continued to pose. "Its all for you though baby." She said in a sultry voice as she winked at him.

He watched her with a smile in the corners of his mouth. She turned towards him, running her fingers though her hair as she walked to him, popping her hips with each step she took as she looked him over with longing eyes. She got to him and placed her arms on each of his shoulders, her hands meeting behind his head.

"I say we play a game." She told him in the same sexy voice she had just used.

"What kinda game?" He asked her, his arms still crossed across his chest.

"We could play the no touch game." She suggested.

"But your touching me already."

She just laughed, playing with his hair a little but. "Thats the game; I touch you but you don't touch me."

"Might as well just tie me down." He told her, looking over over.

"That can be arranged, your Majesty." She said with a playful laugh. She leaned in and kissed him in a frisky and passionate kiss. He did not return it, but just let her kiss him. She noticed his uninvolvment and pulled away, surprised, "What is it?"

"I need to talk to you." Zuko told her, his heart in his throat.

She nodded looking at him with a smile, "I need to talk to you too." She told him. "I was going to sex you up first but I guess this works too."

He nodded, flushing over a little bit. "Sit down..." he told her with a soft voice.

She nodded and walked over to the bed and sat on it. "So what is it?" She asked.

He sighed and sat down on the bed next to her, facing her as he reached out and held her hand. "Suki..." He told her, looking into her eyes of his wife, his best friend, his most trusted advisor, the strongest woman he had ever meet, and his soul mate. The pain on his heart was tearing him apart on the inside, making him want to scream and tear his chest open. He took a deep breath and looked at her beautiful face, "We are never going to have a baby."

She snapped her head back a little bit, looking at him from an angle. "Why are you being so pessimistic with this?" She asked.

He sighed, "Its not that..."

"See, Katara examined me while we were there. She said that everything looked ok but that she knew some people at the North Pole that specialized in reproduction issues. She said that we could both get checked out by them." She said to him, smiling.

"Suki..." she looked into his eyes. "A healer will do no good. I'm sterile."

Suki looked at her husband for a long second; it taking that long for what he said to sink in, for it to fully take hold in her mind. She thought back to everything that they had been though in the past years; all of those things finally clicking in her mind and in her heart. She pulled away from him, her jaw dropping a little bit.

Zuko felt like he had died. His body was numb and shaking a little bit. He felt a weight off his shoulders, but the pain had been replaced by a foreboding one in his gut. He wanted her to say something, but was not sure what to say. He just spoke, letting it all out. He told her about everything; about Mai, about the years of mindless trying, about Ozlon and everything else that he had told Aang a few days ago. She just looked at him out of the side of her eyes, her mouth slightly agape.

After he was done he looked at her trying to get something other than shock out of her. "Please say something." He told her.

She shook her head a little bit, "I..." She sighed as she looked around the room, trying to wake up from this realty that she hoped beyond hope was a dream.

"I should have told you." He told her with a soft voice.

"You have known for 17 years... 17 years that this was an issue." In saying the number it took her off guard, it shocked her that there had been nearly two decades of lies and hidden truths. She got up from the bed, not wanting to look at him.

"Suki..." He stood with her and reached for her. She snapped her head back to him, looking at him with eyes like he had never seen on her. It was not one of anger or rage, but of pure betrayal. He pulled his hand back from her as if she was a fire that burnt his skin.

"I have to go." She told him, going over to the dresser and putting on of her thick green and red silk robes. He watched her silently, his hands at her side. She tired the sash around her waist, not looking at him as she left the room.

He felt a fleeing feeling in his chest as soon as she left the room. It felt as if the very life in him had been drained from him.


	19. I'm sorry

_This is going to be the last new chapter for a few days. I've been putting school work off to do this and I need to stop. Never fear though, I will be back with the continuation of our story, as well as the start of a new one and some one shots. _

_Thanks for reading, following, favoriting, reviewing, and all those other things. I think its funny that the Smut chapters have the most views, (Which is find, i expected that) but that the Wedding chapter (Which is the ABSOLUTE CUTEST) has the least. Meh, it is what it is. _

**20 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

Zuko laid on the red chaise lounge his office, his hands behind his neck as he looked at the ceiling. The chair had become the dog house in his marriage; a place that we went when he knew he was not welcome wherever Suki was. He squinted his not scarred eye, feeling that it was still a little swollen from when she had hit him the night before. His jaw was clicking now as well as there being a large bruise on his stomach; all evidence of last nights sins. No one had thought about thing about it when they saw him with the injuries. It was common place to see both Suki and Zuko with black eyes or limps that they had acquired in the corse of their sparring. He usually came out of the worse end of these conflicts, much to the amusement of the advisors and servants. He was glad for it today especially. He did not want to explain to anyone what had happened, he did not even want to think about it.

He instead reflected on the amount of things that had happened in his life on this very piece of furniture. This was where he would sleep with Ozlon when the boy would have nightmares. He had spent nights with the boy, trying to get him to not be worried about the demons that haunted his dreams. Part of the reason that he had not wanted anyone else to sit with him at night was because he felt overwhelming guilt about the boy's past. Despite the fact that he had been raised by himself and Suki, there was a stigma around him for being the son of Azula. He knew what it was like to be labeled and looked down on because of your family and felt a need to protect the boy from that, even if that meant something simple like sitting up with him while he was not able to sleep. The boy was ten now, and was becoming more and more independent. It brought him joy to see this, but also some sadness to see the child drifting away from him. He knew what a pain he was at this age, and was not looking forward to it in his nephew.

This was also the very place that he had asked Suki to marry him. At the time he had planned to make an amazing, romantic proposal that included fireworks and a her favorite meal at their vacation home. The reality had been much less climatic. They were sitting on the lounge talking about some policy or another that was being proposed about in the nation when he let it slip. It had not even been anything sweet or romantic. It had come out of his mouth like a burp; "Will you marry me?". He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling all his hard work slipping away from him. Suki had not minded at all, and mostly had just been happy that he had finally asked her. She said yes happily and enthusiastically as she kissed him.

This had also been a place a great sadness. His mother had sat with him one day eight years ago and told him that she had found a lump on her breast that the healers were most concerned about. Suki had sat on the floor in front of them, holding his had tightly as his mother told them both. The lump was removed, and never since then had his mother had any issues with it. She preferred to think of it as a victory or success for her and her family. Zuko still had an overwhelming feeling of pain on his heart in regards to the situation. He felt fear for his mother that it would return; and greater fear for his beloved wife that she too would fall victim to it.

He frowned heavily, trying to focus his mind back to a happy memory. Something, anything that would take his mind always from the pain that he was feeling on his body and in his heart. He thought about the times that meant the most to him. It was a frequent occurrence for Suki to sit here while he worked at his desk that was a few feet away. She would read or even work on her own work silently. It seemed silly to him to an extent, but the truth is that when they were like that it was some of his favorite times together. The time would usually end with Suki falling asleep on the chair, a book on her lap and her face flushed over slightly as she dreamt.

Zuko just smiled to himself, thinking about these times that they still enjoyed with one another. He reached out and touched his black eye with his rough finger tips.

"I brought you something for that." A voice said from the door. He looked up to see Suki standing there, holding a rag in her hand.

"I'm fine." He told her, looking back to the ceiling his hands back behind his head.

She walked over to the lounge chair, sitting next to him with the rag in her hands. He looked at her and felt a weight on his heart. He could tell that she had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, the skin around them tight and dry. She placed the soft white rag onto his bruised eye, pressing it onto him softly. He sighed gently as the soothing sensation eased the pain on his face. She said nothing as she held the rag to him, looking at him sadly. After a little while he pulled the rag away so that he could look at her. She looked at him as tears started to gather in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She told him, her voice shaking as her tears started to fall down her cheek. He watched her, feeling that he was the one who failed, that he was the one who had broken her heart. He sat up from his lounging position and sighed, looking at her as she cried, her hands in her lap clutching the rag. "I just got go angry. I was so hurt... And... And I did that to you." He placed his hands on hers, intertwining their fingers. She stammered for worlds, looking for the right thing to say. "You're not just my husband, you're my best friend... and I hate myself for hurting someone I love like that. I just got so angry and I took it out on you."

"Suki..." he said with a sigh.

She cried more, turning her face away from him. He reached out and put one of his hands behind her head, pulling her close to him. She laid her face in his neck as she sobbed, wrapping her arms around his waist. He held her around her neck, his elbows on her shoulders as he tangled his fingers into her hair. He bit his lip as he held her close wishing that he knew what to say to make her feel better. As her breathing returned to normal, and her sobbing stopped she pulled away, looking at him. "I'm so sorry my darling." She told him.

"I'm the one who should be saying that I'm sorry." He told her. "I should not have talked to you like that. I was wrong." he told her. "I was not upset that you had hit me, I was just mad at myself for saying what I did." She reached and held his cheek, rubbing it with the side of her thumb. "It does bother me Suki. It breaks my heart to see what is going on with us, that we can't do this thing that we both want so much."

She bit her lip, looking into his eyes. "I understand." She told him. He knew that he did not have to fully explain himself to oder for her to understand what he was saying. She knew that he was not one for exposing his emotions, one for letting them get away from him; it is what had lead him to troubles in the past. "But its me Zuko." She told him in a soft voice.

"I know it is." He said, going to turn away.

She held his face in place, making him look at her. "I am your wife. I am a extension if you, and you of me. When you are sad, I am sad. If you suffer..." Her voice shook some, "I suffer." She was crying again, "So you may think that you are being strong, you may think that you are going at this alone, but you are so wrong."

He looked over over with sad eyes, knowing that what he was doing was not only inflicting pain on him, but on her as well. He just leaned in and kissed her softly, trying to comfort her. She just sighed into the kiss as she held his cheek.

"Are you two having sex?" Ozlon said from the door way of the office. They pulled away from one another; Suki laughing and Zuko glaring at him.

"You need to stop using that word." Zuko told him with a scowl.

She reached her arms out and motioned for him to come over to them. She did as he was told, sitting on the lounge chair in-between them both. Suki wrapped her arms around him and kissed his head. He groaned a little bit, but was actually quite content on her arms. Zuko rubbed his back, looking at Suki with a soft smile.

"Did she beat you up again?" Ozlon asked him, looking at his black eye.

He nodded, looking at Ozlon. "She did, and I deserved it."

Ozlon rolled his eyes and looked at the floor, "Stupid girls." He said under his breath.


	20. Unrequited Love

_This is a smut chapter (kinds), btw. I know we just had one but it was needed for the story to work. _

**22 Years after the end of the 100 year War**

As a gift to Suki for their engagement Zuko had built a her a shrine to Avatar Kyoshi in the palace. Suki had always very much identified with the past Avatar because of both her affiliation with the Kyoshi Worriers, and because she respected her strength as a powerful woman. He wanted something to make her feel like the palace was her home. She had lived in the palace for a few years, but still in many ways was home sick for her native land.

It was in the Kyoshi shrine that she went when she needed to think and ware Zuko knew that he would find her. He had changed clothes and check in on the sleeping Ozlon; giving her time to herself before he went to her. He walked into the large room who's floor was covered with lush green carpet and walls held tapestries depicting the past Avatar. At the front of the room was a long low shrine that had a statue of Kyoshi at its center, candles around it. A few of the candles were lit, casting a glow around the room. It was in front of this shine that he saw the outline of his wife, laying parallel to and facing the shrine.

He walked into the room, and slid his shoes off closing the door behind him. He approached Suki, bowing out of respect to the statue when he got half way into the room. He walked towards Suki, laying down on the floor behind her and holding her around the waist silently. She placed her hands on top of his, squeezing them lightly.

Neither of them said anything for a lone while; they just laid there together, silently embracing one another. Zuko focused on her breath, feeling the long slow breaths and the rising and falling of her chest. His face was buried into her hair, smelling the fine oils that she had put into her hair for him, for them and their night of love that should have happened. He knew that the rest of her body would be just as soft, just as luxurious as her hair and it made him long for her.

"What I don't understand..." She finally said, breaking the silence. "Is what was your plan? What did you think would happen?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, speaking into the back of her neck.

"You knew that we needed a child and you knew that you could not have one. What did you think was going to happen?" She asked, a little bit of annoyance in her voice.

He sighed lightly, pulling away from her hair. "I had two plans." He said. This was the part that he had not wanted her to know, the part that he was truly ashamed of. "The first is that I was going to wait this out; until you got tired of failing with me and-"

"Left?" She asked.

"That... or I figured that you would be with someone else." She squinted her eyes closed. "I thought that you would sleep with someone else and get pregnant. You would say that it was mine to cover yourself and no one would ever know it was not."

Suki's face grew hot as her hand on his grew tighter; feeling the full extent of her husband's plan hitting her at her core. The fact that he would plan on her betraying him, on her lying to him about this after so many years of them being with one another was, as she saw it, unforgivable.

"The second plan was that if you never conceived then I would have Azula killed, so Ozlon could be the heir." This was of corse the preferred plan from his point of view; but still one that he did not want to use.

"So it was between letting your wife whore herself out or killing your sister." Suki said to him, clarifying the situation.

He just nodded, "Yeah..."

She just laughed a little bit, letting go of his hands and pulling away from him, sitting up. "Wow."

He just looked up at her, not moving from his laying position. "I know." She looked back at him, a frown on her face. She had no idea what to say, or even what to think while she looked at the man she loved, or at least thought she loved. She knew that she loved him, she just hated him more at this moment. She thought about them and their life together; from the burning of her village to this very moment. Over twenty years of her and him. She was totally incapable of explaining or rationalizing what it is that she was thinking or feeling.

She sighed his name and leaned down, placing her lips onto his in a soft kiss. He held the kiss, surprised at her action. She got on top of him, stranding him around his hips as she kissed him. Zuko held her face as he kissed her, opening his mouth and allowing her to take control of him. Suki's tongue went into his mouth, running itself along the inside of his teeth.

She took his heads from her face, pinning them to the soft green floor as she kissed him. He gasped as her tongue explored his mouth, his body become excited. He loved it when she took control like this; when he become hers. Suki pulled away from him, letting go of his hands and moving them to his waist line.

He grabbed her hands and looked at her shaking his head, "We can't in here." He told her softly.

She just looked at him with fierce blue eyes, a look that sent shivers down his spine. He removed his hands from her's letting her continue. She undid the fly on his simple red pants, pulling him out of his hand and stroking him softly with her fingers.

He bit his lip and clenched his eyes tight, feeling embarrassed to be exposed like this in the shrine. He felt himself getting hard in her hand, making him blush more and open his eyes, looking at her.

Suki pulled her robe up and to the side, exposing the bottom half of her body. She used her knees to lift herself up and position her hips over his own. His hands went to her waist as she placed him inside her and pushed herself down on him. She sighed a little bit, feeling his manhood sliding into her. He just watched her as she started to move herself up and down on him, bracing herself on her knees.

She placed her hands on his arms as she started to move on him quicker. She dug her nails into his skin, drawing them to make long scratches on his fore arms. He leaned his head back, his eyes fluttering as the pain mixed with pleasure in his body. He raised his knees up as made a groaning sound in the back of his throat, coming inside of Suki. He panted softly looking up at her. Suki has stopped moving on him, looking down on him with her blue eyes.

His hands moved from her hips to her face, going to cup her cheek. She pulled away from his embrace, looking away. She got off him, sitting next to him in his laying position as she replaced her robe on her frame. He placed himself back into his pants sitting up and reaching out, touching her back. She did not move this time, but just breathed heavily. He laid his head on her shoulder, running his finger tips and up and down the length of her spine.

She felt a wonderful sensation as he touched her like this; and any other time that he touched her. She hung her head and sighed softly, wanting to pull alway from him but not able to. She turned back to him, kissing him again with the same passion as before. She wrapped her arms around his neck, laying down on the ground and pulling him with her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him close. Neither of them said anything as they feel asleep embracing one another.

* * *

Zuko rolled onto his side, feeling his back creak from sleeping on the floor of the shrine. He opened his eyes, looking around as the morning light filled the green clad room. He was alone; like he was expecting but not wanting to be. He laid on his side and looked at the Kyoshi statue sighing as he looked at her.

He sat up assumed the preyer position in front of the shrine, closing his eyes as he pressed clenched fists together. "I ask your forgiveness for last night's..." He looked for the right word, "Activity?" he sighed again. "I hope that it did not tarnish the sanctity of your shrine Avatar." He opened his eyes and looked at the Earth Bending Avatar.

"You know that we are kind of related." he told her, speaking candidly. "Rouk, your protege, was my great grandfather. In addition to that you are the one who made my wife the amazing woman that she is." He smiled to himself, "And I thank you for that every day in some way." He sighed, thinking of what to say. "I know that I have messed up. I know that was I did was wrong and that you likely want to kill me right now for hurting your warrior." He looked at the eyes of the statue, "But please... Speak to her for me." His voice was shaking a little bit, "I can't loose her."

"Uncle Zuko?" Ozlon's voice said from the door, pulling Zuko out of his thought.

He looked back at the boy, "Yes?"

"Why did you sleep in the shrine?" Ozlon asked, not entering the room.

"Well its my house, I can sleep any place I want." he said matter of factually.

Ozlon just nodded, know that was not an answer but not wanting to pry further. "Have you seen Aunt Suki?" He asked.

"I think that she needs a day to herself." He said to the boy.

"Its not that; she is gone." he said sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"She is gone." he said with a voice that was filled with worry. "She left in the night on a ship to Air temple Island. I did not know if she had said anything to you about it."

Zuko looked back at the Statue of Kyoshi, frowning. He stood up and walked to the door, grabbing his shoes. "I've talked to her last night." he said sadly.

"Is she ok?" He asked, "Did she forget something there?" he asked, searching for an answer as to why she had left so suddenly.

"Please don't worry about it Kiddo." He told him with a sigh, half smiling at the boy. "it will work out."

Ozlon just looked at him, nodding gently. There was something off about his uncle, something that he could not quite put his finger on. He just wanted to believe him though that things would work out; even though his heart told him differently.

* * *

Suki stepped off the boat and onto the dock at Air Temple Island after a day of traveling. Katara, Bumi, Kya and Aang had come out to meet her. Aang hung at the back of the group, feeling a dreading feeling wash over him.

"Did you forget something?" Katara asked playfully.

"Did you bring Ozlon? Kya asked hapily.

As soon as Aang say Suki's face he knew what had happened, "Kya, Bumi..." He said to the children, "Come back to the house with me." He told them.

"Why?" Bumi asked.

"I said do it." Aang said in an unusually firm voice. Both the kids did as they were told and went back to their father. He nodded at Katara as he lead the kids back up the house.

Katara went to Suki, placing a hand on each of her shoulders, "Suki, whats wrong?" She asked her.

Suki looked into Katara's eyes and felt the wall that she had put up over the past 24 hours burst open. Her knees gave out and she collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably into Katara's arms.


	21. Sugar Puffs

_This was a little idea that I had a while back and I typed it up. Its not really relevant to the story, but its cute and I needed a filler chapter. _

**9 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

"Its called... a sugar puff." Zuko held out the white cube that was made of a soft, squishy slightly porous material. He pinched his fingers as he held it, the puff distorting a little bit.

Aang watched him with the item, his eyes wide. "It looks weird." Aang told him. Zuko offered him the open back of puffs.

"Take one." He said. Aang took one out of the bag, holding it gentling in his fingers. Zuko offered Sokka the open bag, to which Sokka reluctantly took one, frowning a little bit. "Feels weird."

"Your both right." Zuko told them. "However, these little guys have an amazing special ability. When you put it in fire the outside will caramelize and make them very tasty."

Aang lit fire on his finger tips, burning the sugar puff with the flame. The hot sugar burnt his hand, making him yelp in pain and drop the sugar puff. "Well that was a good idea." Aang said, putting his burnt finger tips into his mouth.

"You can't do it like that." Zuko told him. "This is how you do it." He sat the bag down onto the sand to keep them from spilling. He threw the sugar puff up into the air as high as he could. He lifted his head up watching the it intently. When the sugar puff was a few feet from his face he blew fire at it. The puff rotated a few times in the fire, caramelizing the entire surface of it. He stopped blowing fire and let the now hot sugar puff fall. As he fell he reached out and bit at the falling puff, taking it into his mouth. He ate the hot puff eagerly with his mouth open, trying to cool it as he chewed it.

Aang clapped, nodding in approval. "Very impressive." Sokka just frowned and stuffed the sugar puff into his mouth as is.

"It gets a little hot." Zuko said as he ate it.

Aang just nodded, taking a sugar puff out of the bag and repeated what Zuko did. The only difference was that when he was done with his fire breath he used his air bending to shoot the sugar puff high into the air. By the time that it got back down to him it was the perfect temperature. He took it into his mouth, smiling happily as he chewed.

Zuko smiled at him picking up the bag of sugar puffs, "I figured that you would be good at it." He turned to Sokka, "You wanna try?"

Sokka just looked at him, frowning. "Very Funny." He told him. Zuko just smiled and threw a sugar puff at Sokka's forehead, making him groan. Aang laughed at them happily, taking another sugar puff for another go.

* * *

Suki, Katara and Toph sat on the steps of the Fire Family Vacation Home on Ember island. They each had a cup of tea, watching the boys throw around sugar puffs around an open fire. They were revisiting the place of their final days before the war to celebrate Suki's retirement as a Kyoshi Warrior. She and Zuko were set to be married in 7 months, forcing her to step down at the commander of the group. They came here for some rest and relaxation as a group, what they got was the boys just fooling around like they were teenagers agin. At ages 25 and 21, respectively, they were just little more than teenagers in adult's bodies; but it was something else to watch them play as if they were still children.

"I was thinking the other day." Suki said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"About?" Katara asked.

"How much different they look." She said, motioning out to the guys as Sokka was chasing Aang around the fire, Zuko watching and laughing a little bit.

Katara nodded as she looked out at them. "They have. I can't get over how tall Aang became." She said, smiling over as Suki.

"I mean we all kinda look the same." Suki looked at Toph, "Not you though. You turned into a girl." She said playfully.

"I know right? Its weird." Toph told her. "But you are right. They look a lot different." Toph tucked some of her hair behind her ears, digging her feet into the warm sand.

"How can you tell?" Katara asked her.

"Well I can see shapes and figures thanks to my seismic sense." She said to them.

"I've always thought that was really cool." Suki told him.

Toph leaned back on her elbows that rested on the stairs. "I am the best after all." She said, shrugging.

"That you are." Katara told her. "So... who do you think is the best looking now?" She asked Suki.

Suki looked at her, "You mean of the boys?" She asked.

Katara nodded "Out of Sokka, Zuko and Aang."

Suki looked out at them, looking them over. "I'm partial to Zuko." She said.

"Thats cause your gonna marry him." Toph said.

"So?" Suki asked, blushing a little bit.

"So its not really a fair comparison." Toph said to her.

Katara nodded, "Not really fair."

"So then how can we possibly compare them to how they used to be when its all going to be subjective?" Suki asked.

"I guess we just look at the facts." Katara told her.

"Mmm, facts." Toph said, looking out at ware she knew they were standing.

"Well ok, who is the tallest?" Suki asked.

"Aang." Katara said. He was a good two inches taller than both Sokka and Zuko. "A point for him." She said smiling.

Suki nodded. "I think Sokka has the best facial hair." She said.

Katara nodded, "Agreed. Why doesn't Zuko have any?" She asked Suki.

"Oh... He tried to grow it out and I hated it so I made him shave it off." Suki said with a smile.

"Thats awfully controlling." Toph told her, "Even for you."

"Its not that," She said "His scar makes the hair grow on that side of his face uneven. Its not just me that thought it looked weird, it really did look weird."

Katara nodded, "That would be a good reason I suppose."

Suki nodded, "So he has a baby face, I kinda like it." She said smiling to herself.

"It took some getting used to with Aang's. He just looked like a bum there for a while." Katara said, making them all laugh. "I will say though that Zuko's hair is the best. It looks so much better long than it did short." She told them.

"Agreed." Toph said. "I'm blind and I can tell that the hair is very nice."

Suki nodded, looking out at the guys as the three of them still continued to roast sugar puffs with their fire breath. Sokka would throw it up, then Zuko would breath fire on it. Once it was done enough Aang would blow the sugar puff up high in the hair. When it finally came down Sokka caught it with his mouth, chewing it.

"TEAMWORK!" Aang yelled with his funky grin, holding his hands over his head in celebration.

Suki just smiled at them, watching her husband to be. He looked back at her with a soft smile his face. She just waved at him a little bit, returning the smile.

"So each one of them has a point." Toph said.

"So who wins?" Katara asked.

"Well there is one thing that we did not really take into account." Suki said, smirking a little bit.

"What, personality?" Toph asked.

"Well Zuko looses." Katara said under her breath, making Toph laugh.

Suki punched her gently on the arm, "Hush now. No I was talking about... Manliness."

Katara looked at her with a confused look. Toph looked ahead emptily smiling a little bit; apparently getting what Suki was saying.

"Things just got weird." Toph said.

"If we are talking about physical attractiveness not really. That's part of it." She told them, trying to sell her point. "I mean when it comes to physical fitness they are more or less the same." She said, motioning out to the three shirtless men.

"What are you talking about?!" Katara asked Suki.

"She is talking about the potential effectiveness of their manhood." Toph told her.

Katara just looked at Toph, still not sure of what she was talking about. Suki just laughed and leaned over, whispering into Katara's ear.

Katara's eyes widened, "WHAT!?" She yelled.

Suki just laughed happily, "Come on, arn't you a little curios?" She asked.

"Not at all." Katara said matter of faculty.

"I am!" Toph said with a smile.

"Me tooo!" Suki told her.

Katara frowned and slumped her shoulders, "I don't see why it matters." She said.

"It matters Katara." Suki said as she watched Zuko get hit in the head with a small rock that Aang bent at him.

"Well... even if we did want to know there is no way to do so." She told him.

"Well yeah there is." Suki said, grinning at Toph.

"What?" Katara said, looking at Suki.

"You can use your seismic sense to get an idea." Suki said.

"Ew." Toph said with a groan.

"Well there is no other way." Suki told her, "And you are curious, right?" She asked Toph.

Toph crosses her arms over her chest and smiled, "A little, yeah."

"You are both so sick!" Katara said to them both. "That is something very intimate that is only between a husband and wife. Since none of us are married to these guys its none of our business as I see it."

Toph smiled to herself, "I bet Aang knows what you look like down there." She said playfully. Suki laughed loudly at her as Katara blushed, looking away.

"So you gonna do it?" Suki asked.

Toph stood up, cracking her knuckles. "I will see what I can do." She silently walked towards the fire that the guys were not sitting at, bending the fire into cool shapes with Sokka looking on. Suki and Katara looked on silently, still half not believing that she was going to do it.

Toph stood on the far side of the fire facing them, "Bear with me here, fellas." They all looked at her confused, sitting still. Toph placed her feet solidly into the sand and closing her eyes for a moment. She opened them and looked in their direction, smiling. "Thats all." She smiled to herself and walked back towards the house. "Zuko wins!" She shouted out as she got closer.

Suki doubled over in laughter as she held her stomach. Katara looked at Toph with a deep blush on her face, "Really?" She asked.

Toph sat back down with them on the steps. "Yes, he was the winner by a sizable amount." She said with a smile.

Suki was still laughing, blushing deeply as she held her cheeks.

"Well then..." Katara said, chuckling a little bit.

The three guys were turned around in their seating position, looking at them with confused looks on their faces.

"What do you think that was about?" Sokka asked.

"I don't think that we want to know." Aang said rolling his eyes as he looked back to the fire.

Zuko just smiled to himself, looking at Suki's hidden face and Katara's embarrassment.

* * *

Katara, Aang, Toph and Sokka were in the main living room drinking some tea as they were relaxing.

Suki was sitting on the sand of the beach, digging her feet and hands into the sand happily. She was thinking about the past, the future, and everything in between. She looked up at the moon, letting its light fill her head.

"Care if I join you?" Zuko said from behind her.

"Never." She said with a smile, not taking her face away from the light of the moon.

He sat down next to her, placing his leg under hers and kissing her shoulder. "So what do I win?" He asked her playfully.

She looked at him, laughing a little bit. "Do you know how you won?" She asked.

He shrugged with a smirk, "I have an idea."

She looked at his strong face in the moonlight, reaching out and holding his cheek with her hand, running her thumb over the edge of his scar. "So what do you want?" She asked.

"Well..." He thought about it, looking her over. "I don't think I want anything. I have it all."

"You are... so lame." She told him with a smile.

He just smiled ever so lightly, "Its true. I have a beautiful wife to be, great friends, a wonderful nation." He shrugged a little bit. "I already have too much."

"See..." She told him, running her thumb over his lips. "I was thinking a back rub."

He smiled widely, pressing their foreheads together. "I guess that would be a nice reward." She just smiled and kissed him tenderly.


	22. Comforting Company

**22 years after the end of the 100 year War **

Kya watched as Suki was on her hands and knees, scrubbing at the wood floor in the Woman's dormitory on Air temple Island. On one hand she was happy to not have to be doing her chores, on the other hand she felt bad for watching while Suki did them. Suki looked worn out. Her face was pale and her hair frayed from the constant work that she was doing to keep her mind busy. She had forgone wearing her usual green and red clothing in favor of the yellow and red clothing of the Air Acolytes. Her current state made her unrecognizable.

She sat up on her knees, feeling her back creek. She her her back in pain as she groaned a little bit. She thought about what she could do next. There were always floors to scrub in this place, she just figured that she would find one.

"I can do it if you want, Suki." Kya told her, still feeling quilty.

"Oh I'm fine sweetie." She told her, smiling over at the girl.

Kay just nodded and took the bucket from her, "I will get more water." She told her with a smile. She walked down the hall and ran into her uncle Sokka. Her eyes got wide as she saw him, putting the bucket behind her back. He looked her over, narrowing his eyes. "Your not going to tell mommy, are you?" She asked.

He just shrugged, "Not if you don't." He told her with a smile. She nodded and ran past him, looking back as he walked towards Suki.

Suki got up slowly, using the wall to brace herself. Sokka got to her, reaching out and helping her up. She looked at him with a smile, "Thank you, Sokka." She told him as she stood.

He nodded, holding out his hands, "Can I see your hands?" He asked.

She nodded and offered her hands, palms up, to him. He took them into his hands, looking them over with an inspecting eye. "Awfully rough looking for the Fire Lady." He said to her with a smile.

She pulled the hands from him, shoving them into her pockets. "I'm not the Fire Lady anymore." She told him.

"Its been two weeks Suki." He told her with a smile.

"Two weeks is enough." She said with a sign. There had been no word from Zuko since she had left in the middle of the night. She however had made no attempt to contact him either.

He smiled with one side of his mouth, looking at her with sad eyes. "Come take a walk with me." He told her.

"I kinda wanna get this done." She said, morning to the floor.

"Oh I think Kya can take care of her own chores." he said with a smile. "Come on." he told her, motioning her outside.

They walked side by side silently outside and along the cliff shore of the island. He placed his hands behind his back as they walked. Her hands were still on her pocket as she looked out at the ocean. "You look tired." He told her, finally breaking the silence.

"I'm fine." She told him quickly.

"I know you not." He told her, looking at her with a smile.

She looked at him and sighed, "No I'm not fine." She told him. "We both know that I'm not." She shook her head. "There is nothing that I can do though."

"Yeah there is." he told her.

"What is that?"

"You could go back." He told her. She stopped walking, letting him go in front of her. He looked back to her, turning towards her.

"I can't Sokka..." She said with a sigh.

"Listen." He said, walking closer to her and crossing his arms on his chest. "I know you love him, and I know that you have for a long time now."

"Love is not the issue." She said to him.

"Your right, but its the only thing that really matters." He told her with a smile.

"Its not-"

"Listen." He said to her in a somewhat firm voice. "I know that you love him. I know that when you broke up with me that you were in love with him and that you two would be together forever."

"How could you know that?" She asked.

"Because we loved one another." He said to her. He had never spoken candidly with Suki about the break up. As far as she was concerned he acted like they had never been with one another. His attitude with Zuko was a bit more playful. They had talked about it and agreed that they would maintain thier relationship. They would occasionally gently tease one another about the situation in a joking manner; but it was never done in front of Suki.

"I don't understand..." She told him.

"I know how much you loved me cause I loved you the same. And for you to leave me and what we had for something else; it would have to be something amazing." He shrugged, "And sure enough it was something amazing." he smiled at her, putting a hand on each of her shoulders. She had tears in her eyes, looking at him. "You married your soul mate." He told her with a smile.

"He lied for so long..." She said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"He's... a son of a bitch." he said, laughing a little bit. She laughed a little bit too though her tears. "You know this." She just nodded. "I think that what he did was his weird way of protecting you."

"Protecting me?" She asked.

He nodded, "He sees himself as a failure and did not want you to see him as one as well."

"So he was protecting me from his perception of what I may or may not think about him?"

"I believe so, yes."

"That is crazy."

Sokka just laughed, shrugging. "Its him. He is your hero and did not want you to think any less than that of him." She nodded, looking up at Sokka with tears in her eyes. He rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "You still love him."

She just nodded, "I always will... I just need time."

He nodded and hugged her, holding her close but not to close. She sighed a little bit, missing the feeling of strong arms around her.

* * *

Zuko walked though the back door of his Mother's villa. He did not even have to look to know his way around. This was the same villa that he had grown up in till he was 9 years old. It had been redecorated since this time; the red, stiff furnishings replaced with lighter, friendlier ones. He had offered his mother a place in the palace once she came to live with him here but she she had declined. It was almost like she was afraid of the place. He had understood and not pressed the issue. The only time that she came to the palace was for royal events or someone was sick and needed her tender love and care.

He found his way to the courtyard, looking out at the trees blooming in late Summer. His mother was sitting there on a stone bench under the tree. He smiled to himself and approached her, "Good day Lady Ursa." He said to her in a soft voice.

She pulled her gaze from the book, looking up at him with a smile. "Fire Lord Zuko." She said to him as she nodded her head to him.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked her.

She closed her book and looked her son over, "Not at all." he sat next to her silently, watching the turtle ducks swim in the small pond in front of the tree. It was the same one that they would sit at when he was a child, giving bread to the small animals. "You look old." She told him.

He just smiled to himself, watching a turtle duck fret over its child. "I am old." he said simply, laying his arm on the back of the bench, his armer making a soft clinking sound on the stone.

"Any word?" She asked him. He shook his head, biting his thumb nail. She reached out, patting his leg softly. "You've not come by in a while" She told him. He would usually come by two or three times a week. Sometimes just to say hello, other times to take tea with her. This had stopped when Suki left.

"I've not been doing a lot of things." He said, not looking at his mother.

She just nodded. "I know this has not been easy for you."

He sighed lightly and moved from the seat, sitting on the soft grass, his legs stretched out before him. "Not easy is not even close to how this has been." One of the adult turtle ducks saw him, looking at him with curiosity.

"You should go to her." She told him.

He just shook his head not moving as the turtle duck got out of the water, waking towards him. "She doesn't wanna see me." he said under his breath.

"I don't think that you will know fro sure unless you try."

He just shook his head again, the turtle duck getting closer to his hand. "I don't wanna invade her private time. If she wanted to see me, she would say something, she would do something. I have to assume that she never wants to see me again." The turtle duck got to his hand, looking at it. Zuko reached out in attempt to pet it. The Turtle Duck let out a terrified squawk, biting his hand hard. "OW!" he cried out, pulling his hand away as the animal retreated back to the safety of the water.

Ursa just laughed a little bit, "Some things never change." She said in her soft voice.

He stood up, holding the place that the animal had bit. "That hurt."

She laughed a little bit and stood, "Come on, I'm hungry." She looped their arms together, walking towards the door.

"Ozlon is getting curious." He told her as they walked. "I don't know what to tell him."

"Tell him the truth." She said with a shrug.

"That his uncle lied to his aunt for 20 years about his ability to procreate and was planning on killing his biological mother to secure the future of the nation?" he asked, trying to play at how ridiculous it sounded.

She nodded, "I think that is exactly what you should tell him." She said in a serious voice. "You have never sugar coated things for him and I see no reason to start now."

He nodded softly, "Your likely right."

"Have you told your Uncle yet?" She asked.

He nodded. He had wrote his uncle a few days ago when it became apparent that she was not going to come back. He had written back the very next day saying that he would be there as soon as he could. "He should be here any day. I wish he would not have bothered but he insisted."

She just nodded, patting his arm with her free hand. "I think that having him here will do you good." She told him.

He just nodded, "I'm sorry I've been scarce." He told her.

"Its alright. I will admit that I may not be the best company during this sort of thing." She told him with a small frown.

He just shook his head, "You're good company no matter the situation." He told her. Ursa just smiled at him, walking into the house arm and arm with her adult son.


	23. Dreams and Ice Creme

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

Zuko laid on the lounge chair in his office, his face was covered his small black facial hairs. It uneven was, being sparse in one area and thick in another; the one side of his face had almost none on it. The bags under his eyes in addition to his cracking lips made him look considerably older than he really was.

His eyes were closed but he was not awake or asleep, but in that weird in between stage that was neither here nor there. He had 'slept' like this for the past three weeks; ever since his wife left. He drifted in-between unconsciousness and the brutal realty that was his life now, welcoming one in lieu of the other.

He opened his eyes and was looking down at his bed. He smiled to himself as he saw the very familiar shape of his wife's body in the bed. A grin spread across his lips as he crawled into the bed, inching towards her ever so slowly. He felt like if he moved to quickly he would spook her, that he would scare her away. He could tell that she was naked under the soft white sheet that covered her. The silken surface showed no clothing line and just laid on top of her soft, beautiful skin with her back and arms exposed.

He finally reached her, hovering over her silently. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her upper arm with a smile. He felt her moan under him, a smile spreading across her lips. He smiled at her reaction, running her fingers along the edge of his face. She opened her eyes and looked at him with her blue eyes.

He moaned happily, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. She reached up and held his cheek, Zuko melting at her touch. He laid down next to her and wrapped his long strong arms around her soft body. He felt warmness spread over his body as he pressed himself onto her. He did not move as he felt her on him, the soft curves of her body contouring to his own solid frame. It felt like they were being molded into one, their bodies entangled together to never come apart. He breathed in deeply though his nose, taking in her sweet smell. It brought him immeasurable joy to feel this with her, to be here with her.

Zuko opened his eyes and gasped lightly, looking around his office. He found himself back in his lounge chair; alone. He clenched his eyes tight and reached up, pulling his hair light as he kicked the air with one foot. "Fuck." He said to himself; wishing that he had stayed asleep, wishing that she had stayed with her in that perfect moment.

He sat up on the side of the longer and hung his head, holding it as he did so. He breathed deeply and slowly, trying to pull himself back to center. he stood up, running his fingers though his hair as he looked at his clothing that was thrown on the desk. He scratched his bare chest, looking around the room and feeling pain in his stomach.

He put on his knee length robe on, walking from the office. It was after midnight and the palace was dark with inactivity. He silently made his way to the kitchen, hearing some chattering and laughing when he was close.

"Thirteen is a very big age." A familiar mellow voice said.

"You think so?" Ozlon asked the older voice. Zuko smiled to himself as he peeked into the kitchen, seeing his Uncle Ihro sitting on the kitchen counter with Ozlon. Both of them had a bucket of ice creme on one hand, and a spoon in the other. Ihro was in his mid 80s but looked like he had for years. Zuko was both amazed and envious of his youth. He hoped that he would be able to maintain that same youth and vitality that he had as he got older.

Ihro nodded, "Your Uncle went though a huge change at 13."

"Thats when he got the scar, right?" Ozlon asked.

Ihro nodded, "It was. But your path will be different." Ihro told him.

"You think?" He asked Ihro, putting a spoon full of red colored ice creme in his mouth.

"It will. Your thirteenth year will be one for you to explore yourself and your place in the world." He nodded, closing his eyes. "You are a wise and brave young prince who will make an impact on it."

"Like Uncle did?" Ozlon asked.

"Your Uncle's path was his path. You have to choose your own."

"How will I know what that is?" He asked.

Ihro just smiled, "One's path is never easy to find, young one. In fact it may not be found for many a years. The important part is that you stay true to yourself though all of it, doing anything less would be a disservice to you and all those who love you."

"I don't really understand." Ozlon said, raising an eye brow.

"You get used to it." Zuko said from the door, laughing a little bit.

They both looked at Zuko smiling. "There he is!" Ihro said to him.

Zuko walked in the kitchen, smiling at him. "When did you get here?"

"A few hours ago." Ihro said, offering him a spoon and a bucket of Ice creme with a smile. "Try some."

"What is this?" Zuko asked, taking it and taking a bite from it. As soon as it hit his mouth he frowned heavily. It sat in his mouth as he held his lips open, looking at his uncle. "Is this... Jasmine Tee ice creme?" he asked, some ice creme dripping from the corners of his lips.

Ozlon nodded, "Sure is!"

Zuko swallowed and looked at his uncle, handing the ice creme back to him.

"You don't like it?" Ihro asked.

Zuko shook his head, looking at Ozlon's iced creme, "What is that?"

"Its fire flake flavored." he said, taking a bite of it and showing it to his uncle.

Zuko took it and took a bite of it, "Thank you. Now go to bed." Ozlon groaned heavily, holding his hands up in disbelief. "I mean it." He told him, pointing the spoon at him.

"Why?" he asked, wining a little bit.

"Its late and you have school in the morning." Zuko told him, taking a bite of the spicy ice creme.

Ozlon looked at Ihro for some support. "Don't look at me, he is in charge." Ihro said, shrugging. Ozlon just frowned and hopped off the counter, he turned and left before saying anything else.

"Good night." Zuko said to him as he left, leaning against the counter opposite him uncle. They both ate in silence for a few moments. "You didn't have to come." Zuko finally told him. Ihro said nothing but just ate his ice creme silently. "Are you going to give me some kind of wise words, or a motivational speech?" He asked.

"Why do you expect me to do something?" Ihro finally asked.

"Well because you came here." Zuko said to him.

"I did?" He asked, looking around. "I came to eat some ice creme, your the one who came to the kitchen tonight. It would appear as though you were the one who walked to talk to me." Ihro said, eating his frozen treat. Zuko looked up at him, "So what do you wanna talk about?" He asked his uncle.

"I don't... Know what to do." He told him in a soft, lost voice.

"I think you do." Ihro said to him.

"No I really don't." Zuko said with a sigh. "The love of my life left me, I'm unable to produce and heir and the nation that I worked to hard to bring back could fall into the hands of my crazy sister." He twisted his mouth, "I don't think I've ever had to deal with something like this."

"It dose seem like a lot." He told him. "I will give you that." He are some of the tea flavored ice creme and looked at Zuko. "The last two things are are they are and can't be dealt with at the time being. You have to focus on getting her back."

"And how do you think I should do that?" He asked.

"I think you should get her back the same way you get her in the first place." Ihro told him. "You should be honest and show her how you feel. Then things will fall into place."

"Mother says I should write her." He said, putting both his and the extra ice creme away in the ice box.

"I think you should to."

"What should I say?" He asked, putting the spoons in the sink.

"What you feel."

Zuko smiled to himself, thinking of the very first letter than he had write Suki back so long ago. "Even the mushy stuff?"

Ihro just shrugged. "Make it your own. Just make it you, nothing less." Zuko smiled at him, not saying anything else. "She loves you. I also bet she misses you just like you miss her." Zuki just nodded, his eyes drifting off as he was thinking. "So you really didn't like the ice creme?" He asked.

Zuko just shook his head, "No. It was weird."

"You know it was the hit of the summer at the tea shop." Ihro said with a grin on his face.

Zuko just nodded with a smile. "I'm glad someone liked it." He closed his eyes and held his chin, thinking about what he wanted to say to his wife.


	24. Birthday Visit

_I'm not going to be updating as much as I have been. The reason is is that I'm doing National Writing Month and making a new Fanfiction for you to all be able to enjoy! So be patient, it will be worth it. This one is going to be beyond epic. _

**22 years after the 100 Year War**

It had been five weeks. They had not been apart from one another this long since she spent that year on Kyoshi Island prior to their engagement. Saying that she felt an emptiness in her heart would be an understatement. She felt as if there was a rewriting of her soul; and she hated the new story that it told. It told one of an old maid at 37 years old who's sadness gripped her every thought, her every breath.

She looked it too. The youth and beauty that had even been present in herself was now gone, replaced by a tired worn out look. She was so tired, all the time now. She assumed that it was from the constant work that she did around the Island; helping out in any way that she could. Even after small tasks she felt totally exhausted and lethargic. She did not tell anyone about it though. She knew that she was a guest on the island and did not want to pester anyone with her complaining.

Her hands bleed from all the cleaning that she did, her once finely manicured nails were now chipped and cracked. She was grateful that the Air Acolytes did not have mirrors so that she did not have to look at herself. When she had come to live on the Island three months ago her eyes had been filled with sadness and hurt. Over time though it had been replaced by loneliness and It was apparent to everyone who came in contact with her. No one knew what to say, what to now say. Even the children who had known her their entire lives seemed to walk on egg shells around her.

Zuko had written her a handful of letters in the past few weeks. She had read each one twice, then stuffed them in a box that she kept under her bed. They were not the love letters of their past, but were more mature in nature. He wrote of his daily activities and about Ozlon. This talk was more or less what it was when they were together. He would finished each letter by telling her that he missed and loved her. He never spoke about the future, but just about the present, and how much she still meant to him. She would tell herself that she did not care, that they meant nothing to her. However sometimes at night when she could not sleep she would peek under her bed and peek at the box, getting a comforting feeling from it.

Ozlon's 13th birthday had passed while Suki was away. Zuko had written her asking if Ozlon could come and see her for his birthday. It had been the only thing that he really wanted for the holiday. She had sent a message with Aang and Sokka on their latest trip over to see Zuko that he could come for a visit. They brought the boy back with them after being gone for a week. As soon as the Sky Bison touched down Ozlon jumped off and ran to his aunt who was standing near by, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. She held him close, noting that he had grown a little bit in her short time away.

"Your not my little boy anymore." She told him, tears in her eyes as she pet the side of his head.

"I will always be your little boy." He told her with a laugh.

They sat at the table in the dinning hall on the Island eating lunch. She looked so tired and wore out; and seeing her like this broke his heart and made him uncomfortable. He missed her none the less and was still happy to see her. She asked about his birthday as they ate. He told her that it was fun; just his small family for dinner, then a sleep over with a few of this friends from school. He had wanted Kya and Bumi to come, but his uncle said that they were too little to.

She listened intently to his every word, realizing how much she had missed the boy. The entire time they spoke there was an unapproached topic. She did not want to talk about it, but it was the only thing that he wanted to talk about.

"When are you coming home?" He asked her finally.

She sighed lightly, looking up from her bowl of rice. "I'm not Ozlon."

"Why not?" He asked her, his eyes flashing over in hurt. He had thought that she was just upset and needed some personal time. He had never thought that her absences would become permeant.

"Your uncle messed up, he really hurt me." She tried to explain. She assumed that Zuko had told him what was going on.

"Big deal, it's what he dose! Everyone in our family just fucks up all the time." He raised his voice a little bit as he spoke. One of the elderly Air Acolytes dropped her spoon in a gasp at hearing the vulgar language from the boy. A few of the others looked in their direction.

"Ozlon watch your language."

"You can't tell me what to do." he told her, frowning. "Your not my mom." He was speaking from pure hurt, from feeling totally dejected.

She frowned heavily, looking at him with a long face "I'll always be your mother." She told him in a soft voice.

"Why? Cause you sticked around till he did something bad and bailed? Yeah very motherly like. Your no more my mother than Azula is. You both just left me." She knew that he was speaking from hurt, which is shy she did not stop him. She knew that he needed to say these things, even if she did not want to heart it.

"I didn't leave you Ozlon." She told him, sadness creeping into her heart at seeing the boy like this.

"You didn't just leave me, you left us." He had tears in his eyes, looking at her. "What you did was worse than what she did. She left me so I would be safe. She entrusted me with you. You left me because you did not want to be around us anymore."

She said nothing as she looked at him, clenching her fists closed gently.

"We need you Aunt Suki, I need you, HE NEEDS YOU!" The boy had tears on his cheeks now. "He is not the same, he never smiles anymore and its like he is not even the same person." His hands went to his hair, pulling on it roughly. "Its like he is dead, I look in his eyes and there is nothing there and it FREAKS ME OUT!."

She reached out and removed Ozlon's hands from his head. Pulling his hair was something that he had done as a child when he was upset or distraught; and was something that they had worked hard at to get him to stop. He usually only did it now when he was extremely upset "Please don't do that." She told him, holding his soft hands in her own dry worn out ones.

It occurred to Suki what the boy was likely not an exaggeration. He had always looked up to his uncle and respect the man more than anything else. She could only imagine how much it hurt Ozlon to see the man he loved so much, the man he admired to be falling apart.

She also did not question the claim that Zuko was not the same man, reeling from the heartbreak; she knew that would happen.

He shook his head, looking down as he did so. "Its like I've lost both of you." he said though tears, his voice shaking.

She got up from the table and moved next to him, sitting beside him and hugging him close. He laid his head on her shoulder and cried as he trembled lightly. She just rubbed his back, trying to comfort him in any was possible. She shushed him gently, into his ear. "Aunt Suki is here... Please don't cry." She told him, crying herself now.

He pulled away shaking his head. "I can't deal with this right now." He told her, standing up and going to leave.

Suki let him go, saying nothing. As he left the room she could see his hands go to his scalp again, pulling at his dark locks.

She just sighed and sat on her knees, looking at her rough hands laying in her lap.


	25. Hello Ozlon

_So we are in the future in this chapter. Like not really the future, but in the future compared to the rest of the story. There are no spoilers in regards to this story though. _

_This is also likely one of my favorite chapters in the story so far, you will see why. I really contemplated putting this this up though. I hope you all like it. _

_As far at the rest of the story goes I think I have 3 or 4 more chapters that are the same date and then one Fast Forward and One FlashBack at the very very End. I should be at around 30 chapters at the end. _

_Also REVEIW! I don't wanna beg but... well. :)_

**30 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

Ozlon flopped down on the ground, his head falling onto the soft green grass. He laced his fingers together and placed them behind his head, squinting his eyes at he looked up at the Ba Sing Se noon sky. He smiled to himself as the warm sun light warmed his face and body.

"You look so peaceful when you lay like that." A male voice said from beside him.

"I am peaceful." Ozlon told him with a smirk on his face. "I like the sun." he added in a soft whisper. He took a deep breath, letting the rays from the sun fill his body and mind, almost like he was being re-charged.

"You fire benders are like that." The voice said in a smirking tone.

Ozlon turned his head to the side and opened his eyes. He saw a pair of striking blues eyes adrift dark tan skin. The male was on his stomach with his head on his folded arms. He had a wide smile on his face that was framed by long brown dreadlocks. He was in blue and white clothing that was very typical of Northern water tribe people. "And what are you water benders like?" Ozlon asked him.

He just shrugged, grinning more. "We like the night; and the rain." he said, looking into Ozlon's golden eyes and over his fair face. "And I like you." He said in a very soft voice that was barely audible, his face flushing over a little bit. Ozlon just smiled ever so lightly, looking back up at the son with his eyes closed.

There was a loud gong off in the distance, making Ozlon sit up started, "Crap! I'm late." He reached down by his side and grabbed his soft black leather bag. The Water Tribe boy rolled onto his back, sitting up.

"Will you be busy tonight?" He asked him, picking up a book that had fallen out of the bag and handing to to him.

"Not too busy for you." Ozlon told him with a smile. As he grabbed the book he leaned in and kissed the water bender ever so softly on the lips, pulling away quickly. "And I like you too, Kodoka." Ozlon told him, blushing deeply.

Kodoka just smiled at him, watching his fair skin flush over. He nodded "Alright."

Ozlon stood up and smiled at him again, swinging his bag over his shoulder and walking away. He looked back at Kodoka with a wave before walking onto the main Plaza of Ba Sing Se University and towards his next class.

As he walked he got the feeling that he was being watched. He shook his head, figuring that it was just his imagination.

* * *

The warm noon sun had given way to a cold evening, the wind blowing and chilling Ozlon to his core as he left the library on campus. He cupped both of his hands over his mouth, blowing into them. There was a soft light beneath the hands igniting from the small amount of fire that he generated. He then ran his warm fingers though his shaggy black hair to get his head warm.

He had never bothered to grow his hair out; he did not see a reason to. He was technically a prince, but did not identify himself as one in any way. He never wore a headpiece or royal robes; opting for the styles of a typical young man of the fire nation.

At 20 years old he was as tall and as handsome as his uncle had been at that age. His fair complexion and striking golden eyes, coupled with the fact that was a prince, had made him a favorite among women in the university where he was a second year student. However his orientation had not really supported all this feminine affection.

It was Kya who had introduced Ozlon to Kodoka at the New Moon Celebration the past summer. Kodoka was going to be starting at Ba Sing Se University in the fall and Kya thought that he could use some friends before starting. Ozlon had been immediately taken by the handsome 19 year old water bender who was a very gifted healer. They had been inseparable ever since the start of school. They spend as many nights a week as possible sitting up and talking, occasionally stealing a kiss or two.

It made him blush to think about it as he walked into his dormitory. He lived in one of the nicer dorms, a perk of being a rich kid he supposed. He climbed the steps to his second story room two at a time, his bag clenched close to him. He unlocked the room and sat his bag down on the desk, knowing that he had a little bit of cleaning to do before Kodoka came over.

It was in this moment that he realized that he was not alone in the room. He turned around quickly, half expecting to see Kodoka behind him in the dark trying to scare him. What he got was much more unexpected and unpleasant.

"Hello Ozlon." The woman's voice said.

He knew exactly who she was. He had seen paintings of her from when she was young, under 10, but he still knew. He could his grandmother in her mature face, as well as his Uncle. The most unusual thing was seeing himself in her face.

"What are you doing here?" he said to her, looking at his mother's golden eyes.

"I wanted to see you." She told him, smiling a little bit.

She was only 44 years old, and looked to be in her 60s. Her skin was worn and hung loose on her face, her eyes looking tired. She was thin and frail looking, the clothing on her being baggy, simple, and green in color. He looked her over, feeling his heart beat quicken as he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back on his desk.

"Why now?" he asked her, no emotion in his voice.

"I just wanted to see you." She told him with a soft smile. "Thats all."

"You were following me today, went you?" He asked.

She just nodded, her lips together. "I was. Was that your boyfriend that you were with?" He asked, her hands gathered together in front of her.

"No. He's..." He smiled to himself a little bit, letting his eyes drift downwards, "Yeah, he is my boyfriend." He said in a soft voice.

She just nodded, sitting on his bed. "He's cute."

Ozlon just nodded a little bit, biting his lip not sure what to say. He knew that he did not want to talk about Kadoka with her. "Where have you been staying?" He asked her, grasping at straws.

"Republic City." She told him with a smile. "Your Uncle and Avatar Aang did a good job building it into a great place."

He just nodded, "I like it there."

"I saw you there a few years ago." She told him with a soft smile. "You were with... whats-her-fa-"

"You know I've always thought about what I would say to you should you come back." Her interrupted her, running his fingers though his hair. "I would sit up at night and think about how I would yell at you. I would think about how I would tear you down and tell you how much it hurt me that you left me the way you did."

She looked at him with her large gold eyes, shaking a little bit as he spoke.

"I would tell you that I hated you, that I wish you had died years ago." He looked at her, kneeing down on the floor in front of the bed, facing her. "And now that the big moment is here, there is only one think that I wanna say to you." He reached out and held her hands that were together his her lap. "Thank you." He said with a soft smile.

"What?" he asked, surprised at his words.

"Thank you." he smiled wider. "Thank you for leaving me with an amazing family that loved me and made me into the man I am today. If not for you, if not for that choice, I would have ended up much differently." He smiled at her.

She nodded, "I'm sorry for what I did." She told him, "I did the best that I could for you." She smiled at him ever so lightly. "Your a good man and I'm proud that you are mine."

"I'm only yours on a technicality." he told her firmly "I may have come from you, but I'm not yours in any other way." He insisted.

She just nodded sadly, "I understand."

He nodded, standing up and to the side. "I never want to see you again, alright?" He told her, looking away.

She just nodded and stood, looking at him. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. She said nothing else as she let go of him, exiting the room though the door. As she walked down the hall she passed Kodoka, who looked at her confused. She just kept her eyes down, not looking at him at all.

Ozlon sat on the bed and held his head with both of his hands, sighing. Kodoka walked into the room, knocking as he did so. Ozlon looked up at him with a smile, "Hi." He told him in a soft voice.

"Hey." He motioned to the hall as he closed the door behind him. "There was this woman in the hall way." He said.

Ozlon just nodded, "It was my mother."

Kodoka's eyes widened, "Azula!?"

"Yeah." He said with his elbow resting on his knee, his chin in his hand.

Kodoka sat next to him on the bed, looking at him in his perplexed state. "What did you say to her?" he asked, setting his bag on the floor next to his feet. They had talked to great length about the situation with his mother and Kodoka was well aware about his companion's feelings about it.

Ozlon just smiled to himself, "Exactly what I needed to tell her."

Kodoka smiled at him with his large warm smile, "You are always so cryptic in your answers." He said with a smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Ozlon just shrugged with a grin, "Its the truth though."

Kodoka smiled, "I'm glad."

Ozlon reached out and placed his hand on top of Kadoka's that was sitting on his lap. He intertwined their fingers as he saw his boyfriend's face flush over. "You however are very easy to read." He told him playfully.


	26. The Last Person You'd Expect

_So this chapter features someone that I'm not exactly the biggest fan of, but I'd like to think that I did her justice and with a certain amount of fairness. I will let you be the judge of that. _

_Also the thing with Ozlon and his little friend was something that I was REALLY on the fence about. I wanted to have a companion for him as he got older and wanted to work that into the situation with his mother. That is just want I came up with. Sorry if it was lame or something but It was just what I kinda came up with ._

* * *

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War**

Zuko, for the first time in 21 years, was alone in the palace. I mean he was not alone totally. The courtiers and guards were always present in this place. He was alone in his life though. Suki was gone. His mother had made a trip to the earth Kingdom for the wedding of one of her step-sons. Uncle had gone back to the tea shop for a few weeks, it needing his attention after a minor flooding. Ozlon was also gone, having flown away on Appa two days ago with Sokka and Aang to go visit his aunt. So he was alone, so very alone.

This fact sent an uneasy prickling feeling all over him as he walked into his bedroom, the room that he had shared with his wife. He had been in and out of the bedroom regularly to access his wardrobe and to bathe in the adjoining bathroom. He had spent as little time as possible in this room though, it was too heavy for him.

He walked into the room, looking at the bed for a moment then walked towards the bathroom. He stopped before he got to the bathroom door, turning back to the bed and looking at it. It had not been touched since that night that she left. He had thought so many times about what they should have done on that night. About them making love. About what he would do to her, and let her do to him.

He took his boots off, laying them aside at the foot of the bed. His hands went to his gold belt, undoing it and laying it on the stool of Suki's vanity. He followed suit with his otter robe then his arm and chest armor. He stood in front of the bed in his grey under shirt and red pants, looking at the bed with a sigh.

He crawled into bed, laying on his normal side on his back. He felt his back give to the soft mattress. The comfort actually hurt him a little bit. He breathed heavily as he laid there, the only pleasure he felt being from the pain as it left his body. He turned his head over to the side, looking at the other side of the bed. Her side.

He rolled over onto his side, reaching out and touching the empty bed. He felt the soft sheets under his finger tips, smiling ever so lightly. He rolled over onto his stomach, laying on her side of the bed now. He buried his face into the sheets, pulling the soft fabric closer to him with his free hand. After all this time it still smelled like her. The smell of her sweet skin and hair filled his nostrils, exciting his body and breaking his heart all at the same time.

He thought about her, the pain in his heart returning. For so long he had refused the feeling that came with her absence. He had tried to block it, to cover it, to do anything possible to keep it out of his head. He just figured that as long as he did not let it enter his mind that it would not stay. That as long as he did not linger on it there was still hope that she would come back.

It was here though, on the bed that he had shared with the love of his life for 16 years that he finally let that feeling saturate him. He let it take control.

He knew that she was gone, and in that moment he knew that she would never come back. A pain shot though his body as the feeling took hold of him. He gripped the sheet and pulled it to his face as he opened his mouth to cry out; but nothing came as tears poured from his eyes and onto the sheets. His face hurt from the extreme expression, the corners of his mouth pulling down at an angle. He let the tears flow from him freely from his face. Eventually a sharp cry came from his lips, shattering the silence in the room.

He sobbed to himself for what felt like hours, tears and whimpers falling into the sheets. After a while he sat up in the bed panting, his face red and dry. He looked down on the bed, his golden eyes glossed over. He felt an extreme emptiness in him that he had not felt in over two decades. It felt as if it stunted his breath and heart beat. He looked away and out though the window. It occurred to him that it really had been a few hours since he had first time into the bed. He sighed and got out of bed, feeling that his hair had some ajar. He removed his top knot, letting his hair fall down. He walked from the bed room, not bothering to get dressed. He left the carpeted apartment and walked across the cold marble flooring, his legs carrying him though the empty halls of the place towards his office.

It was in this moment that he thought of something that he had not in years. It was a dark cloud that had ones covered his entire existence.

The first time had been when he was just 13. It had come in the days following his banishment. Laying in bed as his Uncle tended to his burnt eye he thought to himself that there was no reason to live. He had been stripped of his birth right, his very identity. As he laid there though the feeling of hopelessness was replaced by anger and drive, drive to find the Avatar. He knew that if he could just work hard enough, work long enough that he could do it, he could get his life back. There was no longer a reason to die. His anger had saved his life.

The worst had been after his banishment ended, after he was accepted back into his family. The thing that had made it so bad was the confusion he felt. He was so happy about finally being back home, about finally having everything that he wanted. He had never been so depressed, he had never felt so horrible. He wanted to disappear, he wanted to die and he thought about it on a constant basis. He told no one, of corse. It was only when he confronted his father and joined Aang that the feelings subsided. His clarity is what had saved him that time.

This time though he was not sure what, if anything would save him. He felt loneliness cripple his ever thought and breath. He now, more than every just wanted to vanish off the face of the earth. The thought of his own death was all that was on his mind as he walked to his office. He wanted to kill himself, but new that he could not. This gave him an even greater feeling of being trapped. He was dying but being forced to live.

"Your Majesty?" Zuko's young assistant asked one he reached the office.

Zuko looked up at him, "Sorry, I dozed off."

The assistant looked him over, somewhat taken aback by seeing his boss in little more than his pajamas. Zuko always did a very good job at separating his personal and private lives, but that line had blurred since Suki had left. But this was something else to see him like this.

"Its fine sir. You have a visitor."

"Really, this late?" He asked, surprised. "Who is it?"

Zuko watched his Assistant's mouth move and heard what he had said; he did not believe it though. Zuko thanked the assistant and walked into the large office.

Sitting at one of the chairs in front of his desk was a woman and a head of hair that he Zuko would alway have engrained into his memory. She was sitting in the chair delicately, her back straight and her hands in her lap. It was apparent, as it always had been with her that she was pure nobility and class.

"I never thought I'd see you in this office again." He told her, walking next to the chair.

She looked up at him and gave him that weird smile but not smile that she always did. "That makes two of us." she told him. She stood up and looked him over, "Hello Zuko." She said to him.

"Hello Mai." He told her as he wrapped an arm around her in a friendly hug.

He patted his shoulder, pulling away. "You look old."

"Everyone keeps telling me that." He said with a soft chuckle. He sat down on the neighboring chair as she sat down again. "How are you?" He asked her, his chin resting in his hand.

She had married a fire nation noble who was the governor of an outlying fire nation city two and a half years after the war. Her husband was someone that Zuko had regular contact with, and saw him a few times a year. In addition to that her brother Tom was on the United Republic Council with Sokka and represented the fire nation. Even with all this envelopment with her family he had only seen her once since their break up 21 years ago. It had been at his wedding and was little more than her bowing in acknowledgment at him from across the room. He smiled at her, bowing as well. She had been pregnant at the time he remembered.

"I'm alright. The kids keep me busy." She said, looking at him with her narrow eyes.

"You have what, four?"

"Six, soon to be 7." She said with a soft smile. "My twins are almost 19, my youngest is 5." She patted her stomach gently, "Well my youngest for a little while always."

"What would... keep one busy." He said with a nod. "When are you due?" He asked, motioning to her stomach.

"6 months. We just found out." She told him with an expression that was a definite smile.

He nodded at her, "Congratulations." He told her with an emotionless face.

"Thank you." She told him. "The real questions is how are you?" She asked.

"I'm existing." He told her, half lying. "Why did you come?" he asked her abruptly.

"I need to talk to you." She told him finally. "What you told Suki about you being infertile is wrong." She said to him.

He looked her over, not sure how she had even know about that had been said. He figured that it was not news that she had left, but he did not think anyone knew why.

"How d-"

"Let me finish." She told him in a soft yet firm voice. He said nothing else, looking at her. "I know that what you told her is wrong, and I know for a fact that you can have children."

"And how do you know that?" He asked her.

She sighed a little bit, adjusting herself in her seat. "I had a miscarriage two weeks after I left you." She told him in a calm voice.

His eyes widened, looking at her shocked. "What?"

She just nodded, "I did not even know that I was pregnant. I woke up in the middle of the night bleeding and with pains. My mother and our wet nurse came and helped clean me up because I was not able to. The next morning the doctor came and told us what had happened after examining me."

He looked at her, his jaw agape. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

She shrugged a little bit, "I was not the biggest fan of you at the time. I never wanted to see you again so I did not think it mattered."

"It didn't matter?" He asked, his eyes wide. He was angry to an extent, but the rest of his was hurt. The fact that he had last part of himself so long ago but felt like it had just happened. "Fuck Mai, we lost a child."

"First off." She told him, breaking him off. "It was not a child. It was little more than a group of tissues as far was I was concerned at the time. Second there was no 'we' anymore."

"I understand that... but jeez. You should have told me." He told her.

She shook her head, "I saw no reason to. Like I said I had no idea that I was even with child till it was already done and over with. Also even if I had of had it you would have never known about it." Her voice did shake a little bit as she said this.

"You mean that?" He asked. He belived that she would have done something like that but did not want to accept it.

She nodded. "Very much so."

"Did you even care about it?" He asked.

"Its not that I did not care, I just had to not let it get me down. I had to move on with my life; on from both you and that." Her voice held the same shallow tone that it always had.

He just nodded, "I'm just surprised that I never knew, that no one ever knew."

"It was on a need to know basis. My mother, our wet nurse, our doctor and your uncle." She told him, her arm draped over her stomach.

"Uncle knew?" He asked, confused.

She nodded, "My mother wanted me to tell someone on your side, just in case. I told him. He wrote to me right after he found about Suki's leaving and said that it was time that you were told. I'm sorry I could not get here sooner, I've not been feeling well."

"Its fine." He told her, "I'm glad you told me, even after the fact." He laced his fingers tother and placed his hands at the back on his neck. He was still having a hard time believing what it is that she had told him. Its not that he did not believe her, he was just surprised. "I'm sorry about what happened."

She nodded, the edges of her lips curling up into a smile, "Thank you. You are still however missing the big picture." She told him.

"The big picture?" He asked.

She nodded, "What you told Suki is wrong, you can have children. I'm proof of that." He looked at her with large eyes, a smile dancing across his face. "I don't know why you have not been able to conceive, but I know for a fact that you are able to do so."

The words hit him, the fact snapping in his mind. "I did not think of that." he said, his eyes to the floor. He smiled a little bit to himself. He had just assumed for so long that nothing was going to happen. He did not for one moment think that something could happen if they kept trying.

She just smiled her soft smile, looking at him. "So your wife left you for no reason." She said matter of faculty as she stood, a hand still on her stomach. "You should go get her back or something. I mean whatever you want." She shrugged.

"Are you leaving?" He asked as he stood as well.

"I have to get back. I also did not tell my husband that I was coming here." She adjusted her clothing.

"I wish you would stay, I don't want you to be out traveling in your condition." He was trying to be chivalric, trying to protect her in some way even though their relationship was long over.

"I think I will be alright." She said as she looked around the office, "Besides, this place has too many memories." She said with with a sad and serious voice. She looked over at the red lounge chair, memories of her time in that chair flashing before her eyes. She looked back to him with a soft smile as she placed one of her think hands on his cheek, rubbing her thumb along his scar. "Take care Zuko." She told him in a soft voice. She pulled away and walked from the room silently, without looking back to him.

Zuko was standing alone in his office, a wide smile across his face. He could feel the air on his teeth as he laughed to himself. The sinking feeling that was in his gut was replaced with one thing; Hope.

Hope would save him this time.

He ran from his office, leaving his assistant even more confused than before. He needed to get dressed, he needed to get to her, to get to his wife.

* * *

_Disclaimer: This is another chapter that I was REALLY not sure about. I did not mean to make her sound like a heartless bitch, but I just kinda put myself in her shoes on this. Knowing how she is about stuff I just think that this is how she would have reacted to this. _

_Also this was a really important to the story that something like this happened. Sorry if I rubbed anyone the wrong way though. It was not my intention. _


	27. Sokka's Kiss

**22 years after the end of the 100 Year War **

Suki stood alone in the small pagoda on the end of the cliff shore on Air temple island. She stood with both her hands on the railing, her eyes closed as the sea wind wiped her auburn hair around her face.

She thought about what Ozlon had just told her over lunch. About how Zuko had changed, about how much she was missed. She knew all of these things to be true. Never once did she question that. She knew that when she left it would break him, that it would ruin who he was as a person. She also knew that it would hurt Ozlon. She also knew that even if she left it would not change the situation, it would not at all change what had happened, it would not make a baby just appear in their life.

The only thing that she did not know is why she had left in the first place.

She hung her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. She hated herself for what she had done, and how long it had taken her to realize her mistake.

"Are you ok?" She heard a voice from behind her say.

She looked back to see Sokka standing there, his hands on the one pole of the gazebo. She and Sokka had, in a way, rekindled their friendship. She always went on walks with him of an evenings when he came to the island, which was more now a days. Their walks had always just been friendly, nothing more. She had found it get comforting to have him there with her. He made her feel a little bit more at ease about the situation, like he used to back when they were together.

She just shook her head, crying more. Sokka frowned heavily and walked to her, rubbing her back a little bit as she laid her head on his shoulder, crying into it. "What have I done?" She asked though her sobs.

He rubbed her back comfortingly, holding her firmly. "Its not too late, you can go back." he told her. He was not used to seeing so much emotion out of her, even since she had come to the Island there had been a change in her moods. They were more dramatic now.

She pulled away, looking up at him. "But there is still all those lies, years of them."

He put a hand on the one side of her face, looking into her eyes. "You don't seem the kinda person to let something like that stop you." He told her with a soft smile. "Especially when it comes to him."

"I'm so confused." She said though her tears. She held her hand in a soft fist, pressing it to her mouth. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

Sokka just sighed, "I don't think you are." He told her softly. "You're just like him you know?" He laughed softly as he explained. "You think that your confused, you think that you are unsure about what to do. You're not though. You know what you need to do but you're scared so you question yourself to the point that you don't believe what you know in your heart to be true."

Suki looked at him with tears in her eyes, biting her lip softly. "How can you be so sure of all this?"

Sokka sighed softly with a slight frown. It was becoming apparent to him that just talking to her about this was not going to be enough. That no matter how he laid it out or explained it she would still question it. No, he would just have to show her. "I'm sorry about this."

"What?"

Sokka leaned in and in one fluid motion placed his lips onto hers. The contact with her lips sent shivers up his spine. He had forgotten how soft and tender her lips really were. The contact gave him the same feeling that it all those years ago. It scared him to an extent. He should not like kissing his best friend's wife this much, ex girl friend or no.

Suki's feeling were two fold. On the one hand the contact with someone's lips on hers calmed her while it excited her body and soul. She felt comfort like she had not in 5 weeks; she felt beautiful, loved, and wanted.

On the other hand she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, as if someone had punched her there with a lot of force. The pain came from the fact that the lips on her's were not the one's that she wanted, not the ones that she needed. She needed to be kissed, but not by him. She only wanted Zuko on her lips, and it became apparent that he was all she would ever want or need.

It was in this moment that it all finally caught up with her. Her loneliness, her exhaustion, her need for her husband; all of it hit her like a ton of bricks. She closed her eyes as the weight on her head pressed down, closing off her consciousness.

Sokka felt Suki slip away from her, her body falling limp against him. He grabbed her around her waist, holding her softly. "Suki!?" He asked, putting another hand behind her neck to support her head. She was unresponsive, her eyes closed and her face pale. "I've killed her." She said with a frown. He picked her up and held her in his arms; one arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulders.

He carried her toward the main house, walking as quickly as he could without jostling her too much. He walked into the house, calling out for his sister. Katara came from the kitchen, looking as them both.

"What happened?" She asked, going to Suki and checking her pulse.

"She just passed out." He figured that leaving out the part of the kiss was a good idea.

"Sit her on the sofa." she told him, motioning to the small sofa in the main living room.

Sokka did as he was told as Katara yelled for Aang to come and held her. Sokka brushed some hair out of Suki's face, silently willing her to stir. Karata pushed him out of the way, looking her over.

"Did anything happen before she passed out?" She asked Sokka.

Sokka shook her head as Aang brought Katara a bowel of clean water. Toph followed him into the room, her black hair down around her shoulders.

"It could be that everything just got to her." Aang said, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.

Sokka nodded, "It could be."

Toph shot her gaze over to Sokka. He was not telling them something, she could tell that much about it by the way that his heart beat quickened when he spoke. "I'm sure thats it." She mumbled, not wanting to question it right now.

Katara bended some water to cover her hands, placing them on Suki's temples. She soon as she did Suki opened her eyes, looking at Katara. "What happened?" She asked with a sleepy voice. She looked up at Sokka, Katara, Toph and Aang.

"You passed out." Sokka told her.

Suki nodded, looking around a little bit. "I see." She tried to sit up, only to have Katara press her back down to the sofa. Toph reached out and pressed her hand on Suki's leg. She could feel her heartbeat though her clothing which was quickened.

"Have you been feeling aright?" Aang asked her, looking concerned.

Suki just nodded, "Yeah, I'm ok." She smiled a little bit.

"Don't lie about this Suki." Toph said, having felt her lie though her pulse. "We are trying to help you."

Suki looked up at them with a sign, "You all know whats going on." She told them all with a soft frown.

"Then tell us." Katara told her.

Suki shook her head, tears coming from her eyes again. "I'm alone after so many years. I felt my husband knowing that it would kill him. My nephew hates me and I'm tired ALL THE TIME." She was sobbing now, her words flowing from her mouth effortlessly.

Katara's ears perked up as she listed to Suki. She bend the water off her hands and back into the bowl. She placed her hands on Suki's lower stomach, allying soft pressure. She felt around for a moment before a large smile spread across her face.

"And I know that I need to go back to him; but it will not change the fact that we will be childless. We need a child but we mostly just WANT one. Things are different now that I know he can't do it. I don't feel any different but I may when I see him again, I may not be able to hold it together."

"Suki..." Katara told her, trying to get her attention.

"I miss him so much." She continued, crying harder. "I miss the way he smells, his rough hands, his scar and even that stupid smile that he gives when he tries to be funny. I miss it all." She said with

"It is a stupid smile." Aang said in agreement. Katara motioned Aang to the location that he hands were on Suki's stomach as she moved away from her. Aang followed her order and pressed his finger tips in the location that Katara's were. Katara watched as a soft smile spread across Aang's face.

"I'm just so scared to go back. I'm so worried that things will not be the same between us. That our relationship will not be the same." She continued, her body shaking. "And I wanna go back but I am so very scared."

"You have nothing to be scared about." Aang told her.

"Its not that simple Aang. I'm scared that we will not be able to..."

Aang cut her off by sitting her up in the seat, holding her by her shoulders. "Suki." he told her with a large smile.

"What?" She looked into his eyes with a soft frown.

Aang laughed a little bit, Katara next to him with tears or joy in her eyes. Both Toph and Sokka were confused, Sokka looking back between Aang and Suki.

"Whats going on?" Toph asked.

"Suki... you're pregnant." Aang told her.

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him with her eye brows gathered. "I can't be. Zuko can't have kids. We've tried for years and nothing has happened. Nothing happened with Mai either." As she was talking Aang took her hand and placed her fingers at the location that his had been. He pressed her hand on her, watching her eyes widen. "Oh?" She said in a soft voice. She felt a firmness in her abdomen that she had never before felt. "That is new." She said with an eye brow raised.

Katara laughed lightly, reaching out and wrapping her arms around Suki's neck. "I knew it would happen." She said with a smile. She pulled away with a grin, kissing Suki on the forehead.

Suki looked at Katara as she pulled away, her hands still on her stomach in disbelieve. "This..."

"Hay, Sparky did it." Toph said with a laugh. She sat next to Suki on the sofa, putting her hand on Suki's stomach and feeling for herself..

Sokka reached out and pressed his hand on her stomach lisghtly. "The Future Fire Lord." He said with a grin.

"A baby?" Suki asked them, still holding her stomach. She looked up as Sokka with questioning eyes.

He just nodded, a soft smile on his face as he pulled his hand away. "Your baby."

"Aunt Suki?" Ozlon's voice came from the door way. He rushed over to her, his long legs carrying him as fast as they could. "Whats wrong? Are you Hurt?" he nudged his way though the group of friends till he got to his aunt, looking at her with concern.

"I'm ok Sweetie." She told him with a sot smile, tears in the corners of her eyes. She reached out and took his hand lightly.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." He told him. "I did not mean any of it. I'm just upset."

She nodded, reaching out and holding his hand. "Its ok Ozlon. I have something to tell you." She smiled widely at him.

"What is it?" He asked, pulling away from her a little bit.

"You're going to be a big brother." Suki told him, a grin spreading across her face.

Ozlon's eyes widened, looking at her. "I... I didn't think it..."

Suki stood up and hugged him tight, kissing the top of his head. "Its going to be ok." She said to him in a soft voice.

"Really?" He asked, his arms around her waist.

"Really." She told him with a nod. "Now." She stood up straight, looking at him after she pulled away from him. "Now we have to go home." She smiled at his own happy reaction. Knowing that this is exactly what everyone needed or order to move forward.

She just hoped that Zuko was not too far gone for her to save him.


	28. The Best

**22 Years after the end of 100 Year War**

Zuko was on the landing pad that was at the back of the palace grounds. It was late, after midnight, but he had lit a fire behind him to allow him to see his work. He was prepping one of the newly designed air balloons that were used in the fire nation now. It was smaller and quicker than the ones that were used in the war, and just what he needed to get to Air Temple Island. It still needed to be prepped and readied for the journey.

He jumped onto the deck of the ship, steading himself with his hand on the metal railing as he did so. He opened the door of the furnace, shooting fire into it to increase the heat in attempt to make the balloon fill faster. He sighed angrily thinking that it was taking too long. He hopped down from the air balloon and walked back, looking up at it as it filled. He silently willed it to go faster.

It was as he watched the balloon that he heard a familiar growl from the air behind him. He looked up with a smile, thinking that this was a much better idea. He saw Appa swoop down and land next to ware he was standing.

"You got here just in time!" Zuko told him Aang was who sitting on Appa's head,

"Did we now?" Aang said, getting onto the saddle. Ozlon his had arms dangling over the edge of the saddle, waving to him happily.

Zuko watched as Sokka stood up on the saddle, then helped someone who looked like an Air Acolyte stand. Both him and Aang helped her down on to the ground before she turned around to face him.

"Suki." He sighed, looking at her face that was only half illuminated by the fire.

Suki ran forward and launched herself at Zuko, laughing as she reached her hands out for his neck. Her orange and yellow robes flapped around her as she few at him, her hair flying behind her head.

His eyes were wide as he saw her in her disheveled state flying towards him. He could not tell if she was going to hug him or try to kill him. Neither would surprise him at this point in time.

She arms made contact with his neck, wrapping them around him, pulling him close as she crashed into him. He grabbed her around the waist, spinning them both as he did so. He didn't want the harsh contact that their two bodies made to hurt her.

She looked into his eyes, the pleasure that those amethyst eyes gave her pulling on every fiber of her being. He sat her down on the ground, his hands still at her waist. He was looking at her with shock in his eyes, his lips parted in an ever so soft smile. He did not notice how dry her skin was, or how frizzy her hair looked, or even that there were bags under her eyes; the only thing that he saw was her.

"Say something." She whispered to him with a large smile; wanting him to mark this occasion with something, anything.

He just shook his head, looking at her with his eyes wide. He didn't want to speak, he didn't want to wake up like he usually did in this scenario.

"Zuko." She breathed his name, it coming from her smiling lips.

"I love you." The words flew from his mouth, the rest of them following unable to stop, "I'm sorry about everything and I love you and I missed you and I was even wrong about what I told you an-"

He was cut off by Suki's lips being pressed to his in one perfect kiss. She felt the warmth that she always felt with him swirl over her, filling voids that had been nagging at her soul for five weeks.

Zuko just felt like a human again.

She pulled away from him, a smile on her face. She looked up at him with her face flushed over. "I have something to tell you."

He nodded in agreement, "Me too. It turns out tha-"

Her hand went to his mouth, shushing him with a smile. "I know." She said to him in her soothing voice.

"How do you know?" He asked into her hand.

A soft warm smile spread over her face, her eyes locked onto his. A soft giggle came from her stomach, filling the space between them.

He looked at her with confusion, his eye brows gathering as his face was turned down to her. As he looked into her eyes, seeing her joy, it clicked.

Zuko's jaw dropped, his eyes widening as her silent message took. He tried to say something but an inaudible sound is all that came from his mouth. She laughed harder, reaching up and holding his face with a smile. There were tears of joy in her eyes and on her cheeks now.

"You're going to be a father." She stood on her toes and spoke into his lips with a smile. His hands went to her face, holding her tear streaked cheeks. She said nothing as he looked into her eyes, a smile covering his face as it all finally came to him. Suki watched as tears gathered in the bottom of his eyes. She leaned up and kissed him again, laughing into the kiss as their tear covered cheeks pressed onto one another's.

"Gross." Ozlon rolled his eyes, watching from the edge of Appa's saddle.

"No, this is beautiful." Aang said to him with a soft smile on his face, his head resting on his folded arms next to the boy.

Sokka sat on the saddle next to Aang, his back to Suki and Zuko with his one arm running along the edge of the saddle, the other holding a smooth rock that Toph had shaped into a small heart for him. He said nothing, but just smiled softly to himself.

* * *

Zuko looked at the bottles of oil that sat on the white shelf in the bathroom with his chin in his hand. He could never remember which one was the one that she preferred. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, thinking that this is something that he should know.

"Third one from the right." Suki's voice said from behind him.

He looked back to her, looking her over slowly. "I can never remember." His voice awkwardly croaked.

She smiled at him as she walked over to him, taking the third bottle into her hands. "I don't expect you too." She reached out with her free hand and touched his arm with her finger tips, standing next to him. He drank her up with his eyes, looking her over throughly. He had had moments like these so many times before. Just them, alone like this; a soft touch, a tender kiss, her lingering scent in his nostrils. He longed for this moment and he feared it. He feared waking up. "You keep looking at me like you're looking at a ghost." Her blue-grey eyes meet his amber ones.

"I..." He watched her lips; the full soft lips that had haunted his dreams and nightmares. "I've been here before, with you like this. Each time I woke up."

She reached out and held his cheek, her fingers tips running over his strong jaw line. "This is not a dream, Zuko."

He closed his eyes and moved his face into her hand, his lips grazing her skin lightly. Suki smiled and pulled her hand away from him, going to the bathtub in the center of the bathroom that he had already filled with hot water for her. He turned around towards her and watched her intently as she put some of the oil into the water before sitting it down by the tub.

She looked back to him, undoing her soft green robe that she had changed into as soon as she got to her room. He watched her with longing eyes as she smiled a little bit. "Join me?" She asked, motioning to the tub as she slipped the rob off her shoulders and onto the white tile floor.

He looked at her naked body, comfort and pleasure taking over him. It felt to him as if his entire body sighed with happiness. He nodded at her, starting to take his clothing off.

She ran her fingers over the top of the water, her fingers dipping into the warm water. She stepped into the water carefully, sitting down in the center of the tub. She moaned lightly as the oiled water covered her tired and worn skin. She cupped her hands to gather water, putting the water on her arms and neck.

Once he was disrobed he climbed into the tub with her, slipping in behind her with his back to the tub. She smiled to herself as she slid back, placing herself in between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder with a soft sign.

"Still think this is a dream?" She asked him as she settled down into his arms

He nodded pressing his cheek to hers. "Yeah." He laughed a little bit.

She put both of her hands over his, squeezing his hands lightly. "Well its a good one." She said with a smile.

His lips went to her shoulder as a hand moved down to her lower stomach, his strong calloused hands covering the area. "The best." He closed his eyes and spoke into her skin in a whisper.

"We're going to be parents." She laughed softly, squeezing his hand that was on her stomach. She spoke as if she did not believe it, as if she was still getting used to the idea herself.

He opened his eyes and looked down on her bare chest, watching her breathe. As he felt her stomach under his hand his heart was heavy with worry and fear. He feared that the fate of the child growing under his hand would be the same as the one that Mai had carried so long ago.

He had told Suki about the visit from his ex earlier when they were still on the landing pad. He wanted no more secrets between them. She felt his apparent plain and worry in this moment, her head turning to him ever so gently.

"Its not going to happen, Zuko." She spoke to him in a soothing voice. She reached back and held his cheek with one hand. "We will have this baby." She said, just as much to herself as to him.

He smiled softly, kissing the side of her wet neck. "We will." He laughed to himself a little bit as his neck was on her skin.

"What is it?" She asked with a smile.

He sighed a little bit, taking in the taste of her skin, the smell of her hair. "Its nothing. I was just hoping that it will be a girl."


	29. The Day they Both Waited for

**23 years after the end of the 100 Year War**

A sharp cry filled the palace as Zuko and Suki's daughter was born into the world on a cool spring day. Everyone in the living room of the apartment held their breath as they heard the first few wails, only one thing on their minds. Kay's foot steps were heard running down the hall and into the room ware the friends and family of the royal couple were waiting.

She got to the door "Its a healthy baby girl." She called out, her voice happy and her eyes laughing.

Everyone in the room let out a sign of relief and happiness at the news. Iroh had tears in his eyes, thanking the sprits for the healthy birth. The messenger who was standing by the door smiled with everyone else before leaving the room. He ran to the other messengers that were standing down the hall.

"The Fire Nation has a female heir." He told them in a strong, proud voice. News spread though the nation, through the world, of the birth of the girl who would one day be Fire Lord.

Suki was on her feet within an hour of the birth, holding the girl soft in her arms as the people closest to them looked at the infant with adoring eyes. Suki and Zuko's mothers both argued with one another playfully, saying that its features matched that of their own child as an infant.

Suki placed the girl in Ozlon's arms as smile spread across his face, looking at the girls amber eyes that were like his own. His aunt moved his hand so that it was under her head, "She can't hold it on her own just yet," Her voice was soft and sure, very much like it had been when he was a child, "So you have to hold it for her."

Ozlon nodded, "I will always hold her up. I swear."

Suki smiled and kissed the top of his head which was now almost even with her own. She looked over to her husband, the father of her child, standing off to the side. He looked so out of sorts standing there like that. People were congratulating him; shaking hands and awkward hugs were abundant. Even through all this his eyes never left the small bundle that traveled from one person to another. He had not held her yet himself though. Suki felt the sudden urge to be alone with him and the baby. She wanted him to hold the child, to feel that connection with her that she already felt.

She walked to Katara, whispering something to her. Katara just nodded and told everyone that Suki and the baby needed rest.

Ozlon walked to his uncle, the baby in his arms. "You take her." Zuko took the baby slowly, holding her like she was made of thin glass. "Watch her head." Ozlon said with a smile. Zuko just nodded as her held the delicate bundle in his hands. He was so scared of hurting her, of dropping the beautiful child.

Everyone left the room, leaving the new parents alone with the infant girl. Zuko sat on the bed, placing the girl on his seal of his legs, his hand behind her little head. He looked at her small, beautiful features; soft auburn hair falling onto her forehead and smiled wide. She opened her eyes and looked at him with her beautiful amber irises.

He was totally speechless, the breath coming out of his lungs in a long low sign.

Suki sat next to him on the bed, a smile on her lips. "I know, right?" She ran her fingers over Zuko's back, watching him as he looked at their daughter with his mouth agape. "You know we still don't have a name." She reminded him.

"I thought we agreed on Kyo." His eyes never left the girl.

"I know, but she doesn't look like a Kyo."

The baby let out a little cry from her father's lap, lifting her tiny fists to her face. "I think something is wrong." He finally turned to Suki, panic on his face.

"She is just hungry." She reached over and took the baby into her arms. Zuko's hand traveled with the back of the girl's head, not letting it go till he was sure that she was safe in Suki's arms. "Can you hand me a pillow?" Suki asked, motioning to the bed as she undid her robe.

He nodded and got the fullest one that he could reach, handing it to her. She placed it on her lap, putting the baby on top of it as she opened her robe. He watched her do this was much interest, noting the soft flush on her cheeks as she started to nurse the infant. He laid his chin on her shoulder, his hand traveling up and down her back lovingly as he watched them both.

"Zarra." Zuko breathed after watching them for a while.

Suki looked away from the girl and to him. She said the name a few times, testing out its sound of her tongue. "I like it." She finally said.

He nodded and reached his hand out, brushing the girl's red colored hair. "Princess Zarra."

"Fire Lord Zarra." Suki sighed, looking back down at the nursing infant.

When Zarra had her fill she pulled away, blinking sleepily while looking around. Zuko took her while Suki fixed herself, pulling the robe tight around her waist. Zuko held her out in front of him, his hands holding her under her arm pits. Her head lurched forward as she looked at him with her large eyes.

Suki went to say something but was interrupted by a burp coming from Zarra's tiny mouth. Both of them looked at her with wide eyes as a flame came from her lips as she did this, filling the space between them with a small amount of heat. Neither of them said anything for a moment, just looking at the infant girl.

Zuko's lips finally curled into a large smile, a laugh coming up from his stomach.

"Well that answers that question." Suki said with a bit of a panicked smile on her face. "I did not expect her to show this early."

Zuko softly held Zarra in his arms, patting her stomach as he laughed happily. "She is gonna be good." He leaned down and kissed her head before looking at Suki who was still looking a little scared. "There is no reason to be frightened."

"Easier said than done, you don't have to nurse her." She moved the pillow from her, standing up and walking to the other side of the room ware a bassinet was waiting. She prepped it for the child, making sure that it was clear for Zarra. Zuko stood up and walked over to her, still holding the baby.

"You handled Ozlon pretty well when he would bend fire at you." He reached out and pulled a blanket from the bassinet, carefully wrapping Zarra tightly in it.

Suki watched him with the girl, a soft smile on her face. "I did not have to nurse him, and there were still a few close calls." She reminded him. She never took her eyes off his face. His expression was a strange one that she had never really seen on him before. It was one of disbelief, of joy and of love.

"I don't think you will have a problem." He put Zarra in the bassinet, making she that her head did not hit the soft padding too hard.

Suki rubbed his upper arm looking down at her as he stood back up. "We did it, Zuko." She mumbled.

His eyes were still down to the baby, "No, you did it. I mean you carried her, you delivered her. You did the hard work, really."

She shook her head, reaching up and pulling his face so that he would look at her. "We did it. We made her." It was now in this moment that tears started falling onto her cheeks, a smile on her face. "Understand?"

He nodded, "We did it."

They leaned together and pressed their lips onto one another's in a perfect and soft kiss. She swore that she could still feel the tingling sensation traveling down to her toes like she had all those years ago.


	30. The Very First Kiss

_Last chapter. Looking back on it I know that this story has not been the best, its kinda scattered and what not. I will do another one eventually and it will be better. _

_Really though, thanks so much for reading!_

**17 months after the end of the 100 Year War**

Suki reminded her self that she was doing this out of pity. She felt sorry for the Fire Lord and she was spending time with him out of guilt because she had caused his break up.

She was NOT spending time with Zuko because she cared about him and she loved the way that his lips curled into a smile when ever he saw her. She want not spending time with him to talk to him, to catch a moment of contact with his warm skin. And she was certainly not spending time with him because she was falling in love with him.

That was stupid after all.

She sighed angrily to herself, walking down the hall to the training room on the west wing of the palace. She was in her traditional Kyoshi uniform, the red, black and white paint covering her face. She had made this trek alone to meet him several times a week now; reminding herself each time that she was only doing this because she felt bad for him.

"I'm sorry I'm late." She walked into the training room and saw him standing in the center of the room shitless, one of his dao swords in each hand. She blinked in surprise, doing her best to cover a gasp that came from her lips. He was always so handsome, so beautiful, especially when they sparred.

"Its ok. I'm early." His voice was soft, despite the fact that one side of his lips had curled up a little bit when he saw her.

She nodded and walked onto the practice floor with him. She had her eyes on him the entire time. She tried to pull away them away, to not stare at his chest but she could not help it. She noticed that he was looking at her as well; his cheeks were flushed over lightly, a funny smile on his lips. Suki hated it when he looked at her like that.

"Weapons, no bending?" She pulled out the gold fans from her specially designed pockets.

"Works for me." He closed his eyes and rolled his neck to stretch his muscles. She watched him, the tendons in his neck expanding and contracting as he moved. Her mind flashed to the image of herself licking that strong long neck. She shook her head lightly, pulling herself out of the thought.

"When ever you are ready, your majesty." She told him, taking her stance.

"Don't call me that, Suki." His voice was playful but firm as he took his own fighting stance, one of his swords above his head, the other out in front of him. She just rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. She took off towards him, a smile spreading across her face.

They both smiled as they fought one another, their weapons making hard crashing sounds as they made contact with one another's. When he saw his opening he laced the tip of his sward into the open space in her fan and pulled it out of her hand, flinging it across the room.

"No fair." She said with a frown.

He shrugged, effortlessly gliding over the floor with his eyes on her. "Would not wanna make it too easy on you."

She frowned and narrowed her eyes, closing her one available fan and drawing her hand back, chucking it at him. She hit him right at the base of his thumb. He felt a sharp pop in his hand as it went limp. His one sword dropped the the ground. He grunted a little bit at the realization that he was not able to close his hand now.

"Chi blocking." He laughed a little bit.

"Ty Lee is a good teacher." She chuckled.

"But now you have no weapons."

"And you are out of balance."

She was right of corse. She could no more fight with one fan that he could with one sword. He laughed to himself as he realized this. He kicked the sword away and slid his other one in the direction that he had just sent the other one. He did the same thing with her fan, sending it to the side.

They stood before one another weaponless, their hands held out at one another. He smiled a little at seeing his strong long body poised before her, a soft smile on his face. "Ready?"

She answered by charging at him, her one hand thrusting towards him. He laughed and deflected her hand with the side of his arm, letting him roll over her. She grunted with annoyance as his foot was placed in front of hers, tripping her up. He reached down and grabbed her around her waist to prevent her from hitting the floor too hard.

Her heart fluttered as his skin was making contact with her. He was so warm, so strong and yet comforting all at the same time. Every time he touched her in any way she just longed for more. Even if it was though armor and clothing like it was right now she still felt a surge of pleasure pulse though her.

He left her fall to the floor softly, his hand under her. He pulled his hand out from under her, looking down at her concerned. "You ok?"

She smiled to herself and lifted herself up a little bit, spinning her shoulders and throwing her clenched fist back at him. Her fist made contact with his jaw, making him snap his head back.

"Aw FUCK!" He feel back a little bit, his hand going to his jaw.

Suki spun herself around, pulling herself up. He looked at her with a wide smile as he held his jaw.

"You should know better."

He just nodded as he withdrew his hand from his jaw, looking her over. "I should." They both took their stance again, crouching down a little bit. "You're getting better."

"So are you." She smiled, looking at him. "How is the jaw?"

"Its fine." He he extended it, feeling it click.

"We can get the healer if you need it." She mocked.

He laughed softly and charged at her, his pointed hand trying to make contact with her. She dodged him, her hands pushing his away as her shoulders rolled away from him. They fought one another, each time one of them got an inch above the other it was taken away, After a little they both pulled away from one another, looking at each other panting.

"I told you you are getting better." He was panting, sweat covering his upper body.

She laughed a little bit, reaching behind her and undoing the armor that was on her chest. She flung it aside, freeing herself from the heavy fabric covered metal. Her attention turned to her gloves, pulling them off as well. His smiled spread wider at seeing her frame exposed to him. He knew what he had to do now.

They went at it again, Zuko on the defensive, making her work harder than she needed to to keep up with his long strides. After a little while she pulled away from him and undid the tie of her skirt, stepping out of it and throwing it off to the side. She stood before him in her tunic an leggings, sweat gathered at her brow.

"Ready?" She asked, flipping some hair out of her face.

He blushed deeply, looking at her with a nod. "Never been more ready."

He charged at her this time, his movements totally off. She raised her eye browed, not really sure what he was doing. He stopped short of her stance, standing up straight. As he stood up he threaded his arm though the space between her arm and waist, putting his forearm in the small of her back.

She gasped as their eyes meet, him pulling her close with his arm. Her hands went to his chest, his hot sweaty skin under her fingers. They could feel one another's heart beat increase, their breathing going faster as well. She looked at those deep golden pools and wanted more than anything to dive into them, to be part of them, part of him.

His eyes went to her full, pink lips. She knew what was going to happen next.

She did not stop it.

His hand held her side possessively as he closed his eyes, leaning into her. Suki puffed out his lips as he did so, her eyes closing just in time for the contact. The moment that their lips meet she felt a shock run though her body. She had never felt anything like that before. It felt as if her entire body seized up with pleasure, that it pulsated with a feeling that was totally foreign to her.

His thoughts were much more simple and something along the lines of: Sokka is going to kill me and it will have been worth it.

They held the kiss for a moment, neither of them moving. He was the one to pull away, looking at her as he eyes opened. He snaked his arm away from her, steeping away. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Zuko..." She breathed, reaching out for him and his flushed over face.

"I should not have done that, I'm so sorry." He looked away, turning from her.

She tried to reach out for him again but he walked away from her, going to the side of the room and grabbing his shirt. "Zuko, wait." She walked to him, trying to reach for him.

"I'm leaving tonight." He told her, looking over at her.

This froze her in her tracks, making her blink a few times. "What?"

"Azula and I are going to find our mother."

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her head, "Don't..." Her voice shook with fear; fear for him.

He rolled his eyes lightly, "I have to Suki. I have to do this."

"I know you do; but not with her. She could really hurt you and I can't live with that!"

He looked at her with a frown, "I know you're worried about me but its a chance that I have to take."

"Just..." She closed her eyes, searching for the right words. She knew that he had to do this, and she respected that choice. But she was still so very very scared. "Please be safe." She whispered to him.

He just smiled a little bit at her, "I will some back, I promise you."

She nodded with some soft tears in her eyes. She bowed to him from the waist up. "I trust you."

"Don't bow to me Suki..." He said, walking over to her. "Never bow to me." As she leaned up he reached out for her face, taking it in his hands gently as he pressed their lips together again. Her hands went to his wrists as she kissed him back; not wanting to waste the opportunity. Their kiss was frantic, mad even. Their teeth touching one another's as they tilted their hands into the kiss. Her toes curled with pleasure as their kiss intensified, his tongue slipping past the seal of her lips. It was only when a soft moan came from her lips that he pulled away from her a strange expression on his face. He bit his lip as he looked at her with his golden eyes.

Neither of them said anything for a while, but just looked into one another's eyes as they held onto each other. He pulled away from her, his hands falling from her face.

"Please come back to me." Her voice was soft and low, matching her flushed over face.

He just nodded and looked at her as she panted a little bit. He smiled a little bit seeing her in this state before feeling the same guilt as he had before in the pit of his stomach. "I will." is all he could say while looking at her like this.

He looked at her one last time, drinking her in before he turned to leave. He took deep breaths trying to clam himself, trying to remove the red from his cheeks.

As soon as he was out of the room she smiled widely, laughing a little bit. Her finger tips went to her lips, closing her eyes as she still felt wetness on them. She licked her lips and moaned a little bit, with her hand over her heart, feeling it flutter under her hand.

"I love him." is all she could manage to say as she stood in the room alone; the smell of the fire lord still in her head. She laughed again as the realization set in that she would never have a desire for anyone else, ever. It was terrifying, and at the same time amazingly spectacular.

**_The End_**


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